Artist Statement:
This artwork draws from my familial connection to my cousin who is the model for this digital collage and my relationship to African female water deities like Yemoja, Oshun, and La Sirèn. Through the piece, I create a mystical, tropical world that was actually photographed at a beach in Los Angeles, California. The overlay of text is visible in some parts of the composition and fades away in other parts. The narrative in the written passage connects my artwork to the spiritual traditions of my African ancestors that I seek connection with in the present.

ID:
Artwork description. This digital collage that I composed myself with imagery that I captured photographically features 2 images of a beautiful Black woman wearing an indigo striped African dress. She stands at the beach among images of palm trees, sand, and the Pacific Ocean. The woman dances under two crescent moons in the sky. There is an overlay of translucent text layered over the image from the book "Pedagogies of Crossing" by M. Jacqui Alexander that discusses feminine water deities from Africana religions. The colors in the artwork are saturated and deep and the image carries an air of mystery.