Cernuda Arte

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Manuel Mendive (b. 1944)
Eggun and Eleguá
(Eggun y Eleguá), 2004
acrylic on Royal Palm trunk
32 x 13 ¾ x 6 ¾ inches

Illustrated in IMPORTANT CUBAN
ARTWORKS, Volume Fifteen,
page 133.

Exhibited in Manuel Mendive and
Three Centuries of Afro Cuban Artists,
Cernuda Arte, Coral Gables, FL,
Nov. 2013 – Feb. 2014, and
illustrated digitally on
cernudaarte.com, exhibitions.

Exhibited in EXPO Chicago Art Fair,
Festival Hall, Navy Pier, Chicago,
Illinois, September, 2018.

This painting is accompanied by a
Photo-Certificate of Authenticity
signed by Dr. Guillermina Ramos Cruz.

Dr. Ramos Cruz is the author of the book
Lam y Mendive, Arte Afrocubano, Linkgua
Ediciones, Barcelona, Spain, 2009.

This painted and carved wooden-palm trunk
sculpture represents the deity Elegguá,
the God of destiny and the opener of
roads, impregnated with beads (cauris)
and fused into a war-like male goat.
The God carries a blessed tree branch
(garabato), which assists Elegguá in
clearing the road for safe passage.

Harboring in Elegguá’s mind, the spirit
Eggún is placed right over the God’s
head, while the various options of
Destiny, represented in humanoid forms,
float around as if waiting for the
decision.

We are grateful to Dr. Guillermina Ramos
Cruz, author of the book, Lam and
Mendive, for the information provided
regarding this artwork.

Ramón Cernuda

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