This piece has been an evolving journey.

The canvas, first awash in a tranquil blue hue, patiently held space for its unfolding narrative. It discovered its purpose in a moving haiku crafted by Adah, which delved into the ancestral resonances of her connection with the open waters.

“Colonisers’ abyss

Yemọja cries remembering

Undulating graves”

Drawing from the depths of history, the artwork weaves a tale of Yemọja, the revered African Orisha of the oceans. She mourns in golden cowrie shells, her tears a metaphor for the lost souls of the Middle Passage.

In the heart of the piece, spirals unfold - ancient symbols echoing the endless cycles of life and death, a motif deeply rooted in many indigenous cultures.

Look closer, and the scientific intertwines with the spiritual. DNA helices and X and Y chromosomes emerge, a poignant reminder of the countless lives lost to the brutalities of slavery, submerged beneath the waves.

Though incomplete, the artwork is a journey through memory, loss, and resilience - a narrative still being told.

Adah invites the viewer to reflect upon the layers of history, science, and spirituality interlaced within this evolving piece. As it nears completion, each element reveals a deeper meaning, a story of sorrow and strength echoed in the undulating waves of the ocean.