Moko Jumbie / Thiakaba

I’ve been painting and studying Moko Jumbie from the Caribbean for years. My fascination with these stilt walker or dancing spirits began when I was a child growing up in Birmingham, Alabama. Moko Jumbies came to the western hemisphere through the transatlantic slave trade with their functions remaining mostly intact. Moko Jumbies or Thiakabas (in parts of West Africa) main objective is to ward off evil during a festival, initiations and spiritual ceremonies. Moko Jumbies symbolize the ancestral spirit that overlooks and protects the community. They see what lies ahead by looking over the heads of ordinary people and spying out enemies.