Damali Abrams b . United States 1979 ; works in New York
Untitled ( MerCouple ), 2016 Mixed-media collage on paper Courtesy of the artist
Damali Abrams is an American-born artist whose parents migrated from Guyana to New York City . Her mother ’ s stories of mermaids peaked her interest in the globally mythologized figure . In her artistic practice , rooted in collage , video installation , and performance , the mermaid figure features prominently as both subject and symbol .
Abrams uses fantasy , myth , folklore , and contemporary popular culture to explore a Black utopia infused with Afro-Futurism . In this work , a mermaid couple , swathed in glitter , is posed in acts of love , desire , and devotion . Their hybrid bodies are set against magazine cutouts of dreamy landscapes where outer space , ocean , and land all meet . The imagery of non-linear and otherworldly narratives reflects “ a space of liberation for the Black imagination that rejects tragedy and trauma as the dominant narratives of the Black experience ,” states Abrams . These beautiful bodies against beautiful dreamscapes of night skies dressed in shimmering violets and blues require us to examine love as a political act ; a space “ where happily ever after includes social justice .”