Nana Abréu (“ah-BRAY-ooh”)

Native of Puerto Rico living in Durham, North Carolina.

Since childhood, I have found the Puerto Rican traditions and cultural heritage captivating. This fascination inspires my art, which expresses who I am. Moreover, through my art I aim to preserve and share my Puerto Rican history.

My medium is clay, which offers me the ability to explore this fascination and express my culture with a personal flair and, in a way, to offer the audience a little piece of history to take home. It is gratifying to observe people from other cultures identifying with the imagery and storytelling behind my art.

My art features Taíno gods and petroglyphs (Taínos, the original inhabitants of Borikén, the island that today is called Puerto Rico). The Vejigante masks that are a Puerto Rican cultural tradition that originated in the 16th century from the Spanish-Moors war. The Three Wisemen (Los Reyes Magos) are a Puerto Rican cultural tradition in celebration of the birth of Jesus.

I hope to continue to create unique pieces that share a glimpse of history from my Boricua heritage.