From the Deep

Journey to artist Ayana V. Jackson's feminist, Afrofuturist aquatopia with 125 striking images of artwork from her first solo museum exhibition

Multimedia artist Ayana V. Jackson's work blends historical tragedy with mythic possibility, and this breathtaking companion book to her first solo museum exhibition at the Smithsonian's National Museum of African Art features 125 images that offer an up-close look at her ethereal and powerful artwork. Through stunning costumes, installations, photographs, and film, Jackson—using herself as a model—conjures African water deities in outfits adorned with objects scavenged from the sea, such as fishing nets, shredded plastic bags, flip flops, stray spoons, and more.

Nineties music duo Drexciya imagined a mythical underwater kingdom populated by vengeful warrior descendants of the pregnant women who died during the transatlantic slave trade. Jackson reimagines the myth through a feminist lens by depicting female water spirits who led those women to safety and midwifed the new civilization. Essays reflect on Yoruba deities, the spirituality of water, Black mythmaking and imagination, and the past, present, and future of Drexciya. Transcribed interviews between the curator and Jackson provide insight into the artist's thought processes, methods, and motivations.

For this project, Jackson collaborated with designers across Africa and the Caribbean to craft opulent custom garments that envision clothing for an underwater civilization from the Elizabethan period through the future. The book is artfully constructed, with a translucent vellum dustjacket that's evocative of the undersea world. From the Deep is a bold and beautiful vision of survival and resilience.