In starting my research of Caribbean myths + folklore I looked towards Mama D’lo ( Trinidad) or by her other name Mami Wata or Mamba Muntu(Swahili). This deity is often described as mermaid-like, associated with the sea, nature, fertility and healing. Often depicted with a snake and carries around small trinkets, such as combs jewelry and mirrors to symbolize her love of beauty. Having connections to both the Caribbean and West Africa, I felt as though Mama D’lo represents the sublime black feminine. Embodied by imagination. A force that exists as calm and serene yet can strike fear to those who do not respect her magnitude.
In my practice, I’m always trying to find connections between lands and this project worked to reiterate my pan-African values as a Black diasporic queer artist. What does it mean to hold/venerate/ protect these myths in a contemporary globalized society? To maintain visual cues and social rhythms with one another even in disparate locations, that points us to our shared responsibility towards maintaining our stories, myths and each other.