Joiri Minaya’s (Born 1990, New York, New York; active Brooklyn, New York) ceiling installation draws inspiration from “haint blue,” a blue hue traditionally painted on porch ceilings in Southern US homes. This custom originated with the Gullah people, who believed the color deflected malevolent spirits (or “haints”) by mimicking the sky and water.
Joiri Minaya, Installation of “Recollection” in Making Home—Smithsonian Design Triennial at Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum. Photo: Elliot Goldstein © Smithsonian Institution
Minaya intricately layers imagery of Caribbean flora, depictions of cotton and indigo plants that invoke textile industries and diasporic histories, as well as corrugated tin roofing found in the countryside of the Dominican Republic, where Minaya spent some of her childhood. Wild rice is dispersed throughout the design, symbolizing its cultural significance within the African diaspora, while also alluding to constellations that were vital for navigation along escape routes to individuals fleeing enslavement. The result is a passageway that embodies notions of safety, spirituality, and healing.
Wallpaper production by Flavor Paper.
This installation is made possible with additional support from the Jerome Foundation grant and the Latinx Artist Fellowship.