Leilani Taneus-Miller
Project Title & Description/Overview:
MERVELLA’S SHOE: Historical reconstruction of 19th century shoe worn
by Mervella Etienne aged 6, upon her return to Haiti after having been
exiled to Jamaica with her family. Within this shoe, her uncle, then political
candidate for the Haitian presidency, hid a letter beneath the insole which
announced his intention for coming out of exile in Jamaica to take over as
president of the Republic of Haiti. Lysius Salomon assured his young
niece, the letter would be safe within her shoe as ‘no one will think to look
in a child’s shoe.’ Upon her arrival by boat to Cayes, this letter was
handed to her uncle’s political affiliates, who made the necessary
arrangements to ensure his return to country and leadership. This story
came to me as a family tale on my father’s side – Mervella being my greatgreat aunt having recounted it to my father regularly throughout his
childhood. ‘Honey, we will make,’ was her enduring life motto, as she was
very aware of the passion and power invested in her by being chosen to
hide and deliver this letter. My reconstruction will focus on three aspects:
the making of the shoe, which I imagine President Saloman to have had a
hand in its crafting; and the effect that wearing this shoe, hiding such a
powerful letter, had on young Mervella – the fire that must have seared
underfoot; and reconstructing the letter as a liminal object between Haiti
(ancestral territory) and Jamaica (marooned territory). Growing up, I
assisted my father with shoemaking, as was his hobby, a tradition passed
down over several generations. I have completed the research and design
phase of this project. My reconstruction is based on photos from President
Salomon’s family album obtained from the Clements Library archive and
Mervella’s story as passed down to me.
I will bring Mervella’s shoe in conversation with contemporary migration by
exposing my reconstruction to a bricolage of sea elements and scrap
metals, enabling the shoe to perform its original vulnerability. The letter,
assembled as a ‘tidaletic’ object suspended over the shoe, plays out its
liminal role as connector and witness; the handwriting recreated and
overlayed with sewn script; and needled thread exposing tiny shots of
light, represents a continuous, unchanged sky that has seen it all.
My project comes together under its story, which is printed onto a collaged
19th century map, rendering Britain, Haiti and Jamaica, creating a
palimpsest which celebrates the shared history and continued connection
between these diverse cultures, whilst demonstrating the precedence of
memories and intergenerational stories. The funding will afford me the
materials and space to complete construction of the shoe, the letter and
tell its story in Edinburgh, exhibiting Haitian bricolage culture.
Lead Artist:
Leilani Taneus-Miller is a Haitian-British writer keen to foster greater
representation and visibility for literary and creative arts that demonstrate
the entangled histories and cultural tapestries of Britain and the
Caribbean. Her creative process recontextualises art and artefact to
increase its relevancy and authentic portrayal within Edinburgh’s diverse
population. Th bursary project will increase engagement with the creative
and artistic expressions of Edinburgh’s underrepresented Black British
community.
