Mamy Wata is a charismatic water spirit introduced to West Africa from Europe around 1900. She is represented as a beautiful light-skinned woman with flowing black hair, who controls snakes. Shrines dedicated to Mamy Wata have proliferated widely across the continent. The altar reconstructed in this exhibition is a composite of African, European, and American artifacts.

Curated by Herbert M. Cole, Professor of the History of Art and Architecture, UCSB