Stanford Museum Welcomes Mami Wata

While the waters of the Gulf of Mexico are tainted from the multiple oil spills, the "Mami Wata"—or Mother Water— art exhibit at Stanford's Cantor Arts Center celebrates the "sacredness of water," Henry Drewal, the guest curator, said at the recent opening.

Cantor curator Barbara Thompson said she and others brought together the exhibit "Mami Wata, Arts for Water Spirits in Africa and Its Diasporas" to explore the complexity of such a large continent. Even in the 21^st century, the rest of the world shallowly views Africa as a homogenous, isolated continent, Drewal said.

"Africa is connected intimately with the rest of the world," he said. "It's not dark. It's our view of Africa that's dark."

The shimmering persona of Mami Wata embodies this brightness that Drewal spoke of.

"If Mami Wata were reborn in disco form, she'd be Chaka Kahn in 'I'm Every Woman,'" Drewal said. "She's the diva with many faces."

Stanford Art History Professor Barbaro Martinez-Ruiz said that Mami Wata has manifested herself in various forms from a prostitute to a powerful protectress. Drewal explained that the multi-faceted nature and omnipresence of Mami Wata inspired him to begin his lifelong study of the goddess.

"I had a love affair with Mami Wata for 40 years," Drewal said.

Drewal and Thompson added that they wanted to bring together different pieces to show that African-American art can be modern and that it uses several mediums as well.

"There's light, shine, bling!" Thompson said. "Mediums include paintings, glass, and others; not just the monochromatic materials like metal and wood that are stereotypically portrayed as traditional African mediums."

Some pieces even make references to pop culture. One art piece references the Oscar-nominated movie "Splash," still following the mermaid theme.

Often embodied in the form of a mermaid or sea serpent, the goddess is a figure that slithers her way throughout multiple faiths. In the Vodoun religion, Africans celebrate her as a nurturing mother figure who embodies life and all its gifts.  In contrast, Pentecostal Christians characterize the Mami Wata as a destructive, sneaky female who reflects the vices of Eve.

Throughout the gallery, sculptures, paintings, masks, and altars from countries all over the world depict these faces. Mami Wata is an important aspect in all religions in West Africa, according to Martinez-Ruiz. Though we can see Mami Wata manifest herself in all West African countries, Martinez-Ruiz said she is a "global phenomenon" that can be found in countries like India, China, and in the Middle East.

"Mami Wata is everywhere," said Associate Curator Rose Demir. "I even saw her on my Starbucks cup this morning."

Though the water deity exists on almost every continent in multiple religions and cultures, the exhibit will only be on display until Jan. 2, 2011.