Through a cross-Atlantic dialogue between land and longing, rootedness and rupture - a dialogue between home and away - the artists reimagine the story of the River Mama as a vessel for reconnection and cultural continuity. Among her many names - Mami Wata, Rubba Missis, Manman D’lo - across the Caribbean and further in West Africa, she is best known in Jamaica as River Mama, highly esteemed by some and feared by others for her beauty and the spiritual power that she holds. It is said she lives in every fountainhead, deep pools, and clean waters of Jamaica, performing malevolent actions towards those who dare infringe her domain or fish from her waters — known as her children, as depicted in Nattoo’s River Baby.The story of the Golden Comb dominates the narrative of the show. It is said that if a someone sees it lying on a river bank and attempts to take it, they will disappear. The comb, often seen in River Mama’s hand as she sits beside the water combing her long hair as seen in River Mumma III - The Golden Comb (Nattoo, 2025) and High Noon (Jones, 2025), becomes both a symbol of her allure and a caution —representing the power of nature, the consequences of greed, and the spiritual laws that govern the seen and unseen worlds.
Bound Waters - Confluence: Duo show with Richard Nattoo - Curated by Segolene Py, Olympia Mini Gallery, Kingston Jamaica
Past exhibition
Bound Waters - Confluence is a duo exhibition that delves into Caribbean identity, celebrating its cultural richness while addressing its fragmented histories through storytelling and folklore. Bringing together the distinct yet interconnected practices of Jamaica based painter Richard Nattoo and UK-based interdisciplinary artist Roisin Jones, the show explores the enduring, evolving relationship between Jamaica and its diaspora. Using water both as a metaphor for connection and resilience, and as a medium, locally sourced from rivers, it is infused into the works with watercolours, ceramics, sculpture and mixed media pieces, creating works that carry place, spirit, and memory within them.
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