Cleopatra Tatabele

Ancestry: Afro-Taino / Black / Indigenous / Dominican / African-American
Based In: Brooklyn, NY
Email: tiffany.doley@gmail.com
Social Media: @Afrobrujx and @AbuelaTaughtMe

About the Art
I created these pieces to illustrate the connection between Turtle Island and Two-Spirit peoples in Caribbean Taino cosmology. As people engage with my art, I challenge my audience to acknowledge and welcome Two-Spirit identities, the survival of Tainos, the first peoples colonized in the so-called "Americas," and the legacy of deep intertwined histories between Black and Brown peoples. These pieces are in three parts to create continuity within the pieces. The first image depicts Taino Turtle Island with a white circle at the center, representing the heart beat of Atabey (Mother Earth). The Red Road of life- a sacred life path which connects all humans, sprouts from Atabey into the following pieces: those of the sunken eyes and twin beings respectively. The second piece illustrates the sunken eyes of the ancestors that traditionally represent our connection to the soul, and the final piece depicts twin beings facing away from each other, which I have always interpreted as a Two-Spirit symbol between feminine and masculine. The unity between the feminine and masculine in the astral plane is part of Taino cosmology and comprises our understanding of sky beings or sky ancestors, unfettered by binaries in the pre-colonization era.

About the Artist
Cleopatra Tatabele (They/She Pronouns) is a Two-Spirit Black and Taino educator, healer, and facilitator born and raised in Lenape territory or so-called “NYC.” They believe that by honoring our Black and Indigenous ancestors we will be able to heal by any means necessary. Follow their work on IG @Afrobrujx

Turtle Island

acrylic on canvas, 2020

First, we have Taino turtle island, or so-called "Americas" with a center white circle, representing the heartbeat of Atabey (Mother Earth). The red road of life, connecting all humans, sprouts and continues into the following piece.

Ancestors

acrylic on canvas, 2020

Second, we have the sunken eyes of the ancestors, traditionally, these sunken eyes represent our connection to the soul; also with the red road passing through to the third and final piece.

Twins

acrylic on canvas, 2020

The final piece has twin beings facing away from each other, which can be interpreted as a Two- Spirit symbol between feminine and masculine. This unity between the feminine and masculine in the astral plane is part of Taino cosmology and our understanding of sky beings or sky ancestors.