Sikán
- Artist: Belkis Ayón
- Date: 1991
- Medium: 4 collagraphs on paper mounted on canvas
- Dimensions: support: 2007 x 1385 mm
- Museum: Tate Modern
- Collection record: Tate Modern website
Listen to the free audio guide
About this artwork
This is “Sikán” by Belkis Ayón. A 1991 collagraph printed in 1992, it’s actually a four‑panel piece that folds together to show a three‑quarter portrait of a woman seated on a black throne. The woman is Princess Sikán, the key figure in the Abakuá secret society—a male‑led Afro‑Cuban tradition that came via the slave trade. Ayón uses her own silhouette and eyes to place the female protagonist at the centre, challenging the all‑male narrative. Around her, a fishbowl rests in her lap, a white serpent winds over her shoulder, and a large fish crowns the backdrop—mixing Abakuá symbolism with Christian Eve‑and‑serpent imagery. The print is part of a companion set that includes “Mokongo”, showing Sikán’s boyfriend. The technique—collagraphing on paper and mounting it on canvas—creates a textured, almost sculptural look. It’s one of only four editions, and this copy is number four.
See it in person
Sikán is in the collection of Tate Modern on Bankside, London — free to enter. Point your phone at any artwork there and audioguide.london plays a free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
