Kantika di Galiña (The Hen's Song)

Timothy Voges

Curaçao has a rich oral tradition. For generations, stories, customs, and superstitions were passed down by word of mouth: from grandmothers sitting on the stoop to storytelling men gathered under a tree. It was a way of life, a compass for everyday existence. But now in modern times, many of these stories have slowly faded, and their meanings have been forgotten. What was once second nature now surviving only in vague memories. Timothy Voges grew up surrounded by these tales. As a child, he listened to stories that frightened him, made him laugh, or left him quietly in awe. Some seemed magical, others oppressive, but they were always part of life. Now, years later and far from his home island, he feels a deep urge to give these stories space again. Not through words, but through images. By painting them in oil, he breathes new life into these old narratives, allowing them to be told again and take root once more in the memories of others. In this series of paintings, superstition and folklore take center stage. Each work is a fragment of a larger story, a single detail that is both deeply personal and broadly universal. There are hens that crow like roosters, believed to be a sign of misfortune. And there is the “moth of death,” a large black moth that enters a house uninvited, said to be an omen of death. These symbols are deeply embedded in Curaçaoan culture, even if people no longer remember exactly why. Beyond superstition, the paintings also reflect Timothy’s own childhood: snapshots of memory, steeped in nostalgia. By painting these elements, they gain a new physical presence. They become tangible, visible, open to conversation again. The works become vessels of culture — spaces where memory and imagination meet. In a world where oral traditions are steadily disappearing, visual art offers an alternative way to keep history alive.