‘Asaase Ye Duru’ Painting

Asaase Ye Duru (The Earth is Heavy/Carries Weight)

Acrylic Paint on Canvas

Original by Janina Nana Yaa

25cm width x 30 cm height.

A divine depiction of Earth Mother Ancestor. Asaase Yaa translates to Earth Mother in Asante Twi, native dialect of Ghana.

‘Asaase Ye Duru’ translating to ‘the Earth is heavy’ comes from an Adinkra symbol present within the figure in the painting - Sitting in Their chest.

This symbol carries the Akan 🇬🇭principle that the weight Earth holds comes from all They provide for us. They are abundance and rich. They give us physical life as we are connected through our bodies, the physical realm and as we are a part of Nature. They provide us ancestral relevance as we are connecting through our cultures and lands. As Akan we believe our bodies return to the Earth upon death, as our souls continue to live on elsewhere.

Janina Nana Yaa Asiedu (they/them) is a Queer Ghanaian artist, Ritualist and Ancestral practitioner. Born in Aotearoa NZ and founder of House of Afi x Nyame Dua, they offer visual art, herbal skin-care, spiritual adornments and divination that guide the collective through the waters of Ancestral intimacy & healing.

Janina’s artwork embraces the use of vibrant tones and texture to call the unseen to be seen. Honouring African Divinities, Adinkra symbols and mystical forces of Nature. Their heart is most fulfilled when uplifting LGBTQ+, African, Black and Brown community. Deeply inspired by Indigenous patterns, line work and naturally informed by their upbringing in Tāmaki Makaurau their art reflects their ancestral migration as tauiwi and the ongoing connection to whenua