Watercolor, gold leaf, gold thread and paper, 2021.

18” x 24”

Original available

At first glance, he may appear to be a black widow. But look again. The mark on his abdomen is not an hourglass, but a book.

Anansi is from West Africa, and through stories of oral tradition, came to the Caribbean in the 1500s. Anansi is celebrated as a symbol of survival and slave resistance by using cunning and trickery. Anansi asked the sky god, Nyame, for all his stories. After completing his 3 tasks, which involved trickery, Nyame gave his stories to Anansi.

African fabric inspired the geometric web pattern, including circles which symbolize the moon and upside down “U”s that symbolize the sun.

Anansi can be seen in Neil Gaiman’s American Gods, Jim Butcher’s Dresden Files, DC and Marvel Comics as well as other tv shows and video games.

Trickster tales suggest the conditions of life and spirit, the acquisition of knowledge and power, and how to survive. Many of these legends are hundreds of years old - told through stories that allowed people to be together, learn, and pass the time. Tricksters teach the art of surviving and triumphing in the face of inhospitable environments, and remind us that sometimes we must do the unexpected in order to succeed.

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