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

April 1, 2009 - July 26, 2009

Museum: African Art Museum

Location: Sublevel 2

Beautiful and seductive, protective yet dangerous, the water deity Mami Wata (pidgin English for "Mother Water") is the focus of this traveling exhibition. It explores 500 years of the visual culture and history of the water spirit that is celebrated throughout much of Africa and the African Atlantic world. Mami Wata also brings together both traditional and contemporary art from west and central Africa, the Caribbean, Brazil, and the United States. The exhibition includes a range of arts -- from masks and figures to paintings, sculptures, and installations by contemporary artists.