Tears of our Mothers lies in the Ocean . . .

Multimedia triptych comprised of photography, acrylic paint, gold leaf, leather, hemp threads, eyelets, and video,

152.5 x 203.5 cm, video 3:05 min

Unique edition (one of one) AP

The Tears of Our Mothers Lie in the Ocean... the artist researches, unpacks, and performs in a work that explores shifts in the role of the Black maternal figure throughout history, presenting it in three parts.

The First Lady (left image) depicts Adélakun embodying the spirit of an lyálode (high-ranking female chieftain). lyalodes governed various political and economic matters in pre-colonial Yorubán culture, a West African ethnic group where they held high regard and influenced critical decisions.

In The Middle Passage (video), Adélakun honors Yemoja, a river and ocean Goddess revered in an embodiment of motherhood. She is known to care deeply for her children and is believed to have delivered African captives safely to the Americas during the transatlantic slave trade.

In Nobody's Mammy (right image), Adélakun highlights the "Mammy, a stereotype that refers to Black women who serve the needs of the white families they work for, including domestic labor and childcare. Rooted in the history of slavery in the United States, this portrayal persists in contemporary culture. ne depiction of the "mammy" conveys a drastic shift from the maternal figures this repositioning, the artist holds a strong and unwavering gaze demonstrating strength and resistance.