FROM THE DEEP IN THE WAKE OF DREXCIYA WITH AYANA V. JACKSON @NATIONAL MUSEUM OF AFRICAN ART

The Self-Forgetfulness of Belonging Will Never Be Mine I as part of the FROM THE DEEP exhibit at the National Museum of African Art

Taking a break from school and work, we road trip to DC for the annual White House Egg Roll. While the boys took a moment to detox from the drive, I make a brief stop at the National Museum of African Art to check out the latest exhibit, From the Deep In the Wake of Drexciya with Ayana V. Jackson. Inspired by the 1990s techno band Drexciya, Anya V. Jackson presents a fusion of costume, sound, scent and video offering visitors a multi-sensory experience. Keep reading for a look inside.

Catch a Wave

Step into the hauntingly beautiful underwater realm created by Ayana V. Jackson (in collaboration with friends, designers and others). Inspired by the concept of Drexciya, Jackson vividly brings to life an aquatic world inhabited by the offspring of pregnant women who tragically met their fate during the trans-Atlantic slave trade. The exhibit intertwines fantastical narrative--originally created by Gerald Donald and James Stinson (of the band Drexciya)--and her own artistic imagination. 

Installation view

Victorian-style costumes serve as time stamps of the harrowing era of the slave trade. Through portraiture, Jackson alludes to the Drexciyans' sophistication and resourcefulness with found materials. Videos capture the essence of an underwater dwelling. Jackson's exhibit embodies a feminist and sacred aquatopia, where the voices of the silenced echo through the currents of time. By incorporating elements of African water deities, history and culture, she creates a multi-dimensional narrative that resonates with depth and significance. From the Deep challenges viewers to confront uncomfortable truths while celebrating the strength and resilience of women and culture.Don't miss the opportunity to experience the exhibit, on display until January 2025.

[L] Dwellers in the Space of the Unknown | [R] She Declined to Dance Naked with the Ship's Captain

[L] Where There is Origin but No Memory 1 | [R] Where There is Origin bbbubt No Memory II

What Will the Water Tell Us?

[L] It is Only When You Lose Your Mother The She Becomes a Myth

Dweller in the Space of the Unknown

The Self-Forgetfulness of Belonging Will Never Be Mine

You Must Face the Power of the Black Wave

Spoon Bodice

The Rupture Was Her Story

[L] I Summon the Voice from the Deep I | [R] When the Spirit of Kalunda Comes So Does Kianda

Crown

Large photographs line the hallway

Collar

National Museum of African Art