#african goddess

New art of Nana Buluku, the West African Goddess Who created the cosmos, including the Moon and the Sun. Done as the April Goddess by Request over on my Patreon. Digital art, to look like a linoleum block print.

She holds a carved calabash (gourd), which symbolizes the two parts of the universe–this earthly world and the Otherworld of the dead and the Gods. Her daughter Mawu (the Moon) and Her son Lisa (the Sun) are in the corners; She is dressed all in shades of purple, as that is Her color. She is also associated with water; the fish on Her skirt are after ones on a carved door. Behind Her is a spiral representing both the cosmos (like a spiral galaxy) and the whirlpool that in some stories is the entrance to Her home. The designs of the spiral are after designs on adire cloth, which Yoruba women make using an indigo-resist technique. I put a circle in a square with some hints of equilateral triangles to imply a kind of cosmic geometry.

ETA: Oh, I should probably mention that I’ve got Her up on both greeting cards (through Zazzle) and prints (through deviantArt) if anyone’s interested.

Isis Noir Beautiful African woman