Orixas

by Abdias do Nascimento

Abdias do Nascimento's unique painting and poetry deeply immerse the reader and spectator in the religious culture of African origin in Brazil. Orishas and symbols of Yoruba and Central African origin, in their unique Brazilian context, join the deities of Egyptian, Asante, Ewe religions, and the voduns of Haiti. Together with African liberation heroes from all over the world, they interact in a living and dynamic imagery. Outstanding for its unique and unprecedented use of color, Abdias do Nascimento's art enriches and deepens our comprehension of the multiple dimensions of African culture in the world. This bilingual publication (English and Portuguese) is a tribute to the third centennial of Brazil's Pan-African liberation hero, Zumbi dos Palmares, who died fighting for his people's freedom in 1695. Zumbi symbolizes Afro-Brazilians and their culture, a heritage not only of the African world but of all humanity. The volume brings together scores of color reproductions of Nascimento's paintings, along with three epic poems and a major essay, all on themes of the Afro-Brazilian people, their religion, and its African origins. The book also contains critical essays by Molefi K. Asante, Muniz Sodré, Roger Isaacs, Joel Rufino dos Santos, Elisa Larkin Nascimento, Ola Balogun, Lélia González, Gerardo Mello Mourão, Guerreiro Ramos, Anani Dzidzienyo, Daniel I. Larkin, and Clóvis Brigagão. Printed on the finest quality art paper in an oversized 10 x 11" format and packaged in an attractive slipcase, Orixá Os Deuses Vivos da África features seventy-four full-color plates including ten gatefolds.

Genres: Africa

170 pages, Hardcover

First published July 16, 1997

About the author

Abdias do Nascimento was a prominent African Brazilian scholar, artist, and politician. Also a poet, dramatist, and Pan-African activist, Nascimento created the Black Experimental Theater (1944) and the Black Arts Museum (1950), organized the National Convention of Brazilian Blacks (1946), the First Congress of Brazilian Blacks (1950), and the Third Congress of Black Culture in the Americas (1982). Professor Emeritus, State University of New York at Buffalo, he was the first Afro-Brazilian member of Congress to champion black people’s human and civil rights in the National Legislature, where in 1983 he presented the first Brazilian proposals for affirmative action legislation. He served as Rio de Janeiro State Secretary for the Defense and Promotion of Afro-Brazilian People and Secretary of Human Rights and Citizenship. While working as curator of the Black Arts Museum project, he began developing his own creative work (painting), and from 1968 on, he exhibited widely in the U.S., Brazil and abroad. He received national and international honors for his work, including UNESCO’s special Toussaint Louverture Award for contribution to the fight against racism, granted to him and to poet Aimé Césaire in 2004. He was officially nominated for the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize.