The Legend of Wagadou, Maadi and Siya | Exhibition Print

Edition: Limited to 10 
Size: 29.7cm x 40cm
Paper: Somerset Velvet for Epson - 255 gsm, 100% cotton rag

The legend tells of Siya, a young woman chosen as tribute to Bida, the fearsome seven-headed serpent who demanded an annual offering in exchange for rain and gold. Siya accepts her fate with quiet dignity, bound to a golden stool beside a sacred well. But her lover, Maadi, cannot bear to lose her.

Against Siya’s warnings, and despite fears that the serpent’s death would end the empire’s prosperity, Maadi defies destiny. As Bida rises from the well, Maadi delivers the final blow, rescuing Siya. In its dying breath, the serpent unleashes a curse that dooms Wagadou to drought and decline.

The composition draws thematic and compositional inspiration from Titian’s Bacchus and Ariadne (National Gallery collection).