Anina Major's 'The Sacred Mangrove' at Pérez Art Museum Miami Weaves Bahamian Heritage in Clay
Anina Major, a Bahamian artist, has unveiled 'The Sacred Mangrove' at Pérez Art Museum Miami, showcasing large ceramic sculptures influenced by palm plaiting techniques passed down from her grandmother. This installation will be available for viewing until 1 August 2027 and features woven clay structures, bottle trees, crushed conch shells, ceramic fragments, and the 2024 piece 'Water Tower,' which explores themes of memory, migration, and cultural continuity. Major shared that her connection to clay deepened after her grandmother's passing, and she noted that plaiting encompasses various mathematical and cultural dimensions. 'Water Tower' alludes to a notable landmark in Nassau, while Major underscores the links between craft, sculpture, and installation. The work has been added to the museum's collection through PAMM's Collectors Council.
Key facts
- 'Anina Major: The Sacred Mangrove' is on view at Pérez Art Museum Miami until 1 August 2027
- Major translates Bahamian palm plaiting, learned from her grandmother, into fired clay sculpture
- The installation includes woven ceramic structures, bottle trees, crushed conch shells, ceramic shards and 'Water Tower' (2024)
- 'Water Tower' is glazed stoneware with melted sea glass and sand, acquired by PAMM with funds from its Collectors Council
- Major says clay work began as a connection to her grandmother after her passing
- She describes plaiting as mathematical, structural, economic and cultural at once
- Major links the work to tensions between Bahamian cultural traditions and the tourism economy's souvenir market
- Mangroves serve as the exhibition's framework for traditions that endure through adaptation and exchange
Entities
Artists
- Anina Major
- Brendon Bell-Roberts
- Lazaro Llanes
- Andrew White
- Jennifer Inacio
Institutions
- Pérez Art Museum Miami
- PAMM's Collectors Council
- ART AFRICA
- Tern Gallery
- PAMM
- TERN Gallery
Locations
- Miami
- United States
- Florida
- The Bahamas
- Nassau
- New York
- Caribbean
- Bahamas