D. Del Reverda-Jennings

The 3 -dimensional piece that I have created for my project entails the "staff/rod" as a reimagined figurative manifestation of the portrayal of the Biblical heroine "Mariam" in the form of an orisha/orixá, specifically "Yemanjá" as a symbolic universal feminine force and connection with/as the source of life/life's sustenance, the Earth and continuity as it relates to the lived experiences of contemporary women of color. The piece is constructed in a circular form conducive with my long-held artistic signature of the spiral or circle.

Each portion of the piece symbolizes my conception realized. The Deity Mask conveys the universe/God who answered the prayers of the Israelites in the desert who longed for refreshment/renewal, hence the water flowing from the entity's/apparition/spirit's mouth. The hand-worked metallic swirled portion refers to the heavens, skies, water, continuity and renewal.

My rendition of "Mariam", 'Mother Earth' or "Mother of All," the Orisha Yemanjá's (also spelled Yemayá', Yemonja and Yemaj), roots are anchored in the Yoruba religion. In this piece I portray her as a powerful staff, moving through rock and going forward. The feminine manifestation symbolizes how faith, flesh, spirit, passionate initiative and seemingly inanimate entities such as stone and water are all living energy... and powerful in parallel to both the Earth and the Heavens.

About D.

D. Del Reverda-Jennings is a self-taught, Indianapolis-based interdisciplinary artist who visually fabricates outputs that push the boundaries of creativity in a variety of 2- and 3-dimensional work. She utilizes diverse media and materials that emphasize vibrant hues, complex surface treatments, and nandwrought metal embellishments. Her work often features personal symbolism and reflective imagery pervasive of African and Latin Diasporic culture relative to contemporary women of color, her own lineage, and the Divine Feminine, rendered in what she describes as being "Goddess Persona."