gies in Africa and the African Diaspora. This particular work was created out of research I had done during my Smithsonian Artist Research Fellowship, when I was looking at artworks and imagery coming out of the Kingdom of Kongo. In order to bring the narratives collected through the research to life, the series is a result of collaborations with African designers. This particular costume was created with Mwambi Wassaki, an artist from Luanda, Angola. It is made entirely from raffia and metal. These portraits and movement studies offer a sense of the breadth of my practice, while at the same time taking my work into new territory. While Take Me to the Water is consistent with my ongoing ‘memory work,’ it marks a departure from my commitment to lived histories, as I have chosen to embrace the magical worlds of speculative fiction. From Olokun to Mame Coumba Bang, from Kianda to Drexciya, from Yemanja to Mami Wata, I am interested in the mythic worlds we have studied, yet I am more concerned with those we have been taught to forget.” - Ayana V. Jackson Copyright © Ayana V. Jackson and Mariane Ibrahim Gallery, Chicago The photographer’s proceeds from the sale of this print will benefit Nassan’s Place, an East Orange-based non-profit helping children and families affected by autism in and around under-served communities.