Jardin de Mackandal
by Laurena Finéus
In “Jardin de Mackandal” (The Garden of Mackandal), the focus is the breadfruit tree, a hardy symbol of survival. Known for its role in Haiti's reforestation, the breadfruit tree thrives in poor soil and is a reliable source of sustenance, especially in times of crisis. It grows strong with little care, just as the Haitian people endure through hardship. Mackandal, a maroon leader who defied colonial oppression, is said to have left his spirit behind as a fly, forever roaming Haiti. His enduring presence is reflected in the breadfruit tree, a symbol of strength in the face of adversity. Finéus invokes Haiti’s syncretic traditions, where nature, history, and memory are woven together in a continuous dialogue.
ABOUT THE CREATOR
Photo credit: snikka
Laurena Finéus (she/her) is a Haitian-canadian interdisciplinary artist working primarily in painting, performance and social practice. In her practice, Finéus has been concerned with representations of black geographies, maroon thought, and migratory histories through an array of painterly imagined landscapes. The teachings of Haitian scholar Michel-Rolph Trouillot in ‘Silencing the past’ informs her understanding of visual narration in her practice. Finéus’ strategies include the collapsing of history in order to question its production and mechanisms.
Finéus is an MFA graduate from Columbia University (2024) and the University of Ottawa with a Bachelor of Fine Arts (2020). Her work has been exhibited at the Brooklyn Museum (2024), Hudson River Museum (2023), the Ottawa Art Gallery (2021), Karsh-Masson Gallery (2021), and Art Mûr (2019) among others. She is part of a range of private and public collections internationally such as the Canada Council Art Bank, the City of Ottawa’s Art Collection and Google. She is the recipient of the Saunderson Prize (2024), the Helen Frankenthaler Fund (2023), the Elizabeth Greenshields Foundation Grant (2022-2023), the Ottawa Arts Council IBPOC Emerging Artist Award (2022), and the Ineke Harmina Standish Memorial (2019). As an avid educator, she has facilitated a range of workshops for the Ottawa Art Gallery, Arts Network Ottawa, Haitians United for Progress, Diaspora Community Services and l’Association Canadienne-Française de l’Ontario.
Website: www.laurenafineus.com
Instagram: @laurenafineus