Ruben Cabenda through the work The power of the tongue (2022) explores orality and the construction of certain idioms-languages in the African diasporas in the American continent to disarticulate processes of enslavement. Using animation as a medium, Ruben explores the power of creoles in the constitution of social subjects and the articulation of processes of autonomy that began several centuries ago and are still ongoing today.
Ruben Cabenda is an artist that mainly focus on slavery and identity. In his animation he uses a language that abstractly and figuratively depict the history of slavery. The moving images in his work shows
Ruben Cabenda is an artist that mainly focuses on slavery and identity. In his animations he uses a language that abstractly and figuratively depict the history of slavery. The moving images in his work show how the past is still interwoven with the present and how decolonization is still an ongoing process. Through his animation you see how the identities of slave descendants are snatched and deformed, bearing the traces of colonialism. The process to decolonize their mind-set is on the move to perceive things from a different perspective.
His studies were in Nola Hatterman Art Academy (2006-2010), BFA, Gerrit Rietveld Academy Amsterdam (2010-2014), PG-extern, pedagogische aantekening (2016-2017) as well as private portrait lessons from artist Cliff San A Jong (2015-2018). He received the Rietveld Fine Arts Prize in 2014.
Ruben works as an art teacher at Mulo, Paramaribo (2018 – present) and has taught various media classes at Nola Hatterman, Paramaribo (2014 – 2018)
Ruben lives and works in Surinam.