Crossroads Marker with Little Hand, Reaching

Renée Stout transformed a found piece of wood into a boat, a symbol of the slave trade. At the same time, the boat is a vehicle for African symbols and beliefs that were carried, along with people, to America. The cross, for instance, is an important Kongo sign that refers to the crossroads between the world of the living and that of ancestors and spirits—hence the work’s title. Stout finds inspiration in African cultures to create art that encourages self-examination, self-empowerment, and self-healing.