Elliot and Erick Jiménez

Who are we? Is a question we often ask ourselves in our search for our origins. As first-generation Cuban-Americans, our practice as artists investigates ideas around identity, duality, and the process of transculturation to help answer this question. The central theme in our practice introduces photographs of shadow figures portraying Afro-Cuban deities within Lucumí folklore. Expanding on these anonymous figures, we explore a shadow realm that exists between two worlds, much like us: as twins, Cuban-Americans, bilingual speakers, and having both Cuban and Afro-Cuban parentage, we investigate the dualities and parallels between Lucumí and ourselves. A culture that was historically born from hiding becomes reexamined as a form of resilience. Our medium takes an experimental approach to photography, hinting at surrealism and often referencing various periods within Western Art. Through the use of staging, body paint, costuming, and long exposure times on camera, we approach our photographs to resemble a painting or illustration, often blurring the line between painting and photography. We aim to establish a cultural presence within our community, representing a universe of relationships where these shadow figures become placeholders, encouraging the viewer to find some part of themselves within this realm.