I'm a Black Mermaid: African Mythology & Black Folklore         May 7 - 30, 2022
Flora Bodega (Paseo Arts District) Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

A collection of contemporary acrylic and mixed media paintings by Debra Elizabeth Martin in which she explores the intriguing world of ocean myths and folklore from Africa and Black America--diasporas that have been exempt from the Eurocentric mythological narrative. Each piece highlights fantasy and mystique around the water spirits of Black culture--most of which were regarded as female. Her images are vividly illustrated with a dramatic flair enticing the audience to stretch their imagination. Conveying a harmony of texture, form, and shape in bold expressive contoured lines, her abstract style translates Black female vulnerability and strength.  During her exhibit, the audience enjoyed Black beauty, mystique, and allure.  Water was framed as its own geography, a subterranean world of possibilities where Black subjects can exist freely.  Experimental blends of blue hues are reflective of the colors of the seas and oceans. The way the figures float in and around water conveys the belief that water is an essential life force and a source of strong spiritual power in Black life.