The twisting, interconnected figures in this sculpture— three human faces, a chameleon, and other more fantastical creatures—identify the work as part of the shetani (“spirit” or “devil” in Kiswahili) artistic tradition. Shetani art was first created in the 1950s by a generation of Makonde artists who immigrated to Tanzania from neighboring Mozambique to escape the harsh labor conditions imposed by Portuguese colonizers. The contorted, non-naturalistic human figures that define the genre speak to the alienation experienced by these artists. The sculptures are, as artist Dastan Nyedi said, “about people,” but are created to “try human sensibilities.”