Maadi and Siya | The Legend of Wagadou

Medium: Acrylic on Hand-Crafted Wood Canvas
Dimensions: 47.5" x 34"
Availability: 1 of 1 Original  Please enquire for acquisition details.

Commissioned by The National Gallery, London

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).

This is a one-of-a-kind original artwork.
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