Fishwoman depicts a mermaid floating above the water while teardrops fall from the numerous eyes that form part of her fish-like body. This painting reflects Jan Wade’s research on the mermaid as an African symbol of cultural survival. She explains, “In Yoruba tradition and the Mami Wata cults of West Africa [the mermaid] represents prosperity and plenty. As the Haitian deity Lasyrenn she is derived from the carved figures of European traders and slave ships. In Yoruba tradition the pathway back to the spirit world and Ginen (Africa) existed just under the mirror image on the surface of water. Many captives on their way to the new world chose to jump overboard into the water where they believed Lasyrenn would lead them back to Africa and the home of their ancestors.”