Faculty of Art

Drawing and Painting

Renay Hendy

Lost Lover

In this work I show the human lover in a blurry forest area, away from the Ole Higue, reaching into a mix of fresh sugarcane and burnt/cut sugarcane. The sugarcane is one of the few cultural connections left between both figures shedding some light on the history and beginnings of the sugar industry within Guyana. The choice in using sugarcane at different stages of harvest, is to showcase the loss of culture and isolation that can occur when one is separated or has been located to a new and unfamiliar place. The human skin being blue represents how the warmth and light that once defined their cultural identity has faded and dulled overtime. The gold jewelry represents promise bands showcasing the deep romantic love between the monster and the human. The rope that is wrapped around the burnt and cut sugarcane represents holding together the small bit of identity that is left for the human figure.

“Beauty in the Monstrous is a diptych work showcasing the themes of queerness, separation, and loss of culture with the use of monsters from Guyanese folklore. This work depicts a scene of a creature, known in Guyanese folklore as the Ole higue, and their lover. In the original myth, The Ole higue is usually an older woman who will shed her skin and fly through the night in search of blood from babies or anyone who is vulnerable. When the Ole higue flies or has a light shone on them, they are said to glow like a ball of light or fire. In my thesis I wanted to create a story with the Ole higue and put my own spin on the tale. In my version the Ole higue only seeks out people they already have a connection to. My goal with this piece is to show the separation and loneliness one can feel not only as a person living in a country that they were not born in, but as a queer person of color navigating a new life in said country, while also trying to navigate reconnection of culture. This creature is not inherently queer, but I want to showcase this creature and its myth in a queer context, the Ole higue being the brightest amongst the figures as the shedding of the heteronormative expectations and being accepted for being queer while embracing one's culture, while the human in blue, represents the fading connection to that culture. The healthy green sugarcane not only represents the sugar industry in Guyana, but also shows the cultural relation between the monster and the human, while the burnt and cut sugarcane represents the stunted growth that comes with moving away from your home country. And finally, the bangles on their arms represent the romantic bond between the figures.I want to use the Ole higue and its tale as a way to showcase the freedom and growth that comes with being able to express your queer identity, through transforming and owning the monstrous form that is sometimes put on queer individuals, especially those from restrictive and non-understanding cultures. ”