Afro paintings
As the daughter and granddaughter of Bahians, in honoring the deities of the Nagô pantheon, I do not run away from my ancestry or my Afro-Brazilian origin. Nor do I shy away from my artistic training, where I learned to re-signify content, and by giving a contemporary look to the African theme, I confront two worlds, ancestral Africa with contemporary art.
Afro Side Series
The series Lado Afro is a reflection of previous research: Oríkìs series, Gba Mi Ò series and Deities. In this group of works, I look for a path towards abstraction, but always referenced in African culture, in particular the cult of the orixás of the Nagô pantheon. Here, the painting is represents in a non-obvious way, through brushstrokes and colors, the stories of Yoruba mythology.
Gba mi 2 series
The series Gbá Mi Ò brings a reference from the previous series “Orikis” from 2015. The titles of the works are in Yorubá and are “verses” of the exaltations (orikis) to the orixás. Gbá Mi Ò means "Look after me". In this series, legends of the Yoruba tradition are told.
Oríkus series
The Oríkì (from yorùbá, orí = head, kì = salute) are verses formed to salute the orixá referring to its origin, qualities and ancestry. His intention is to show great deeds performed by the orixá. There is a tradition that when reciting an Oríkì for a certain Òrìsà, it becomes a gift to us in the form of gratitude for the homage paid to him.
Deities series
In Yoruba mythology, Olorun, the supreme god, created the deities called Orixás, guardians of the elements of nature, to represent all his domains here on Aye Terra. Each one with its function inhabiting or representing a force of nature. Esu, The Messenger is lord of principle and transformation, he represents the Earth. Ogun the Warrior, protector of agriculture, is lord of iron. Oxossi, The Hunter, lord of the forest and of all beings that inhabit it. Yemonjá dominates the waters of the sea, she is the mother of all children. Osun is the most beautiful of the yabás, and the queen of all riches, inhabits the fresh waters. Oya, The Warrior, indicates the union of contradictory elements, Lady of the storm.
In this series, I use natural pigment on a recycled support, respecting the African cosmovision of respect for nature, as that is where the Orixá lives.
In the Afro Paintings, Walkyria Novais shows works she made with natural pigments, clays of different colors, turmeric, annatto, charcoal and wagi (blue pigment extracted from an African palm tree, used in Candomblé rituals) on a recycled support. Those who revere the Orixás, preserve nature.
© 2019 by Walkyria Novais