Return to the Water 35*60inches

Once upon the crimson shores of Ghana, boats didn’t only carry fish — they carried hearts, dreams, and shackled souls.

Return to the Water tells a layered story: one of pain, healing, and homecoming. The tranquil waves in the painting may seem peaceful, but beneath them lies the echo of history. These shores were once silent witnesses to the brutal transatlantic slave trade, where many were forcefully taken from their homeland — torn from family, identity, and soil.

In this artwork, baby sea turtles journey toward the vast ocean — a powerful symbol of rebirth and resilience. Just as the hatchlings instinctively return to the sea, many African descendants today seek reconnection with their roots, their ancestors, their stories. The presence of the old canoe in the foreground is intentional: it mirrors the vessels that once departed these same coasts — but now it stands grounded, watching new life return.

The clouds above, lit with moonlight, are dreamlike — representing ancestral spirits watching over, blessing each step of the turtles. The sea, once a path of exile, now welcomes its children home.