Renée Stout: Tales of the Conjure Woman

Renée Stout's work explores the contours of the African American experience and the existence of an underground system of African-derived folk beliefs as transmitted from slavery to the present. This system, known variously as Hoodoo or conjuring, has its origins in herbal medicine, root work, and a belief in the spiritual attributes of plants and animals. For many years, the artist has used the alter ego Fatima Mayfield, a fictitious herbalist-fortune teller, as a vehicle to role-play and confront such issues as romantic relationships, social ills, or financial woes in a way that is open, creative, and humorous.
Tales of the Conjure Woman offers a peek into a fascinating world ruled by superstition and ancestral wisdom. Fatima Mayfield offers her best advice and works in her roots. Renée Stout is an able guide, but she only leaves a trail. Her role is to awaken us to the unseen forces at work all around us--to heighten our senses. Through her art we are presented a prism that enables us to view a particular aspect of the rich traditions and cultural practices of African America.