Research, objects & installation / 2023
Bwa Kayiman
Historical study takes physical form in garments, textiles, objects, and an installation. A move beyond autobiography into a wider Haitian story.
Historical research
Garments & textiles
Objects & installation
Exhibited December 2023
The starting point
History enters the work.
Bwa Kayiman was Didier’s first major project to move beyond autobiography into historical storytelling through art. Made during his junior year of college, it brought his work in historical education into his artistic practice.
The making
Research, held in the hands.
Garments, flags, tapestry, machetes, belt buckles, and an altar formed a shared installation. Working through cloth and objects made research something to construct, wear, handle, and encounter.
What continues
A beginning, not a closed chapter.
The project deepened an ongoing relationship to Haitian history and Vodou. Those questions later entered MINKISI, while Bwa Kayiman remains a distinct body of physical work completed in 2023.
Credits
Research, concept, art direction, design, fabrication, and installation: Didier Akinlabi Osias.
Patternmaking assistance: Matthew Beeston.
Textile assistance: Cici Osias.