Sebastián Lemba

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Sebastián Lemba (I of II)
Liberator and National Hero
(circa 1500 – circa 1547)
Dominican Republic

When Sebastián Lemba was a young man in southern Africa, slave traders captured him around 1525. His owner took him to France and Spain and eventually to Hispaniola, an island now shared by the Dominican Republic and Haiti. Lemba and other enslaved Africans rose up against the Spanish colony around 1532.

The rebels eventually escaped to the mountainous interior of the island and for several years fought against the Spanish. Other freedom seeking enslaved Africans joined their group. Ultimately, on September 25, 1547, Lemba was captured. Today, Dominicans revere Lemba as a national hero, and a statue of him stands outside of the Museo del Hombre Dominicano (Museum of the Dominican People) in the capital city, Santo Domingo.

"During the creation of this acrylic painting on stretched canvas of Sebastian Lemba, I thought about where he came from and where enslavers took him. Thinking of our homeland, the green background came to my mind as a visual starting point. I later incorporated yellow and fuchsia, two of the many colors the Lemba people use. However, showing an interpretation of Sebastian Lemba wasn’t enough; at the bottom of the painting, I included a glimpse of the rebellion to take you to the action and show you the struggle."

- Artist Willie C. Cordy, Jr.

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