The Little Rootkeeper

The Little Rootkeeper, 2026
Photolithograph with hand-applied ink on paper
Edition of 30
31 1/2 x 24 1/2 in.
Collaborative Printer: Justine Ditto

Part of her ongoing Songkeepers series, Martin created The Little Rootkeeper. The little girl, Sap, modeled closely after Martin's cousin is a keeper of roots, attuned to the spiritual realm. Martin, a printmaker in her own practice, brought the photolithographic process that she had been exploring into new territory. building up image in depth in the collaborative space of the residency.

The Songkeepers series follows women who are direct decedents of the Flying Africans, figures from African diasporic mythology, who rather than continue to endure bondage, took flight. In Martin's telling, these women no longer fly, instead transforming into trees and becoming protectors of the earth and human memory.