The sun is a star too

This project was made while in residence at Alice Yard, Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago

For the sun is a star too, I asked Trinidadian-born stilt walkers (also known as Moko Jumbies) to parade a painting around downtown. The painting was made from local natural-dye material found in the back yards of people's houses and on rural farms. Stilt-walking is a tradition in the Caribbean that reflects the varied cultural ties found on each island. "Moko" means healer in Central Africa and “jumbi" is a West Indian term for a ghost or spirit.

“The Moko arrived in Trinidad by “walking all the way across the Atlantic Ocean from the West coast of Africa, laden with many, many centuries of experience, and, in spite of all inhuman attacks and encounters, yet still walks tall, tall, tall. (John Cupid, Caribbean Beat)” The idea of the Moko survived by living in the hearts of African descendants during slavery and colonial life to eventually walk the streets of Trinidad in a celebration of freedom, Carnival. While this figure was rooted in African heritage, Trinidad adapted the figure, notably by adding on Jumbie or ghost to the name. By the early 1900s Moko Jumbies had become an element of Trinidad's Carnival. This figure would walk the streets of Port of Spain and other cities protecting the city and revelers from evil. As part of his role in Carnival the Moko Jumbie would accept donations from onlookers in upper floors of buildings. However, his notable figure of Carnival slowly faded until a drastic revival.

By the early 1990s, Moko Jumbies were essentially non-existent in Carnival, until two men brought this tradition back. There are two main Moko Jumbie bands in Trinidad, Watusi and Kilimanjaro, as well as several smaller ones. So while the idea of the Moko came from Africa, Trinidad has made it its own.”