(b. Havana, Cuba 1967; d. Havana, 1999).
Secrets are the central subject in the dramatic black and white collographic prints of Belkis Ayón. Ayón creates the surface of her oversized print collographs by gluing palm leaves and seaweed, among other found materials, onto cardboard, creating striking contrasts of hue and texture. The scale and power of the black and white images perpetuates the drama and intensity of her mysterious subject matter. Ayón explores the mythology of the Abakua, one of the African religious groups that survives in Cuba today. She critiques the role given to women in this tradition, which is fundamentally an all-male society. Ayón illustrates the story of Sikan, a woman who learned the secrets of Tanze, a sacred fish of the river. Sikan revealed the fish’s secret to her community, and the price for this betrayal was death. The central figure of Sikan recalls the sacrifice of Christ. The story resonates with elements of Christ
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