Mami Wata: Arts for Water Spirits in Africa and Its Diasporas

Beautiful and seductive, protective yet dangerous, the African water deity Mami Wata (pidgin English for "Mother Water") is often portrayed as a mermaid, a snake charmer or a combination of both. She and related African spirits dwell in rivers, seas, and other bodies of water. This exhibition explores five hundred years of the visual culture and history of Mami Wata, honoring the essential, sacred nature of water.