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

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. Multimedia artist Ayana V. Jackson reimagines the myth through a feminist lens by depicting female water spirits who led those women to safety and midwifed the new civilization. From the Deep is a companion book to her first solo museum exhibition that blends historical tragedy with mythic possibility.

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. 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.

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, while 125 images provide an up-close look at Jackson's ethereal and powerful artwork. From the Deep is a bold and beautiful vision of survival and resilience.KAREN E. MILBOURNE is the J. Sanford Miller Family Director at The Fralin Museum of Art at UVA. Previously, she was the senior curator at the National Museum of African Art. Photographer AYANA V. JACKSON's work has been internationally exhibited and collected. The From the Deep exhibition presents the artist’s first foray into video and animation, her first monographic museum exhibition, and the first presentation of her most recent body of work.