David Bruce Graves - Baiana

Like most of my artwork, Baiana tells a story of dualities. It depicts a woman of African decent, proud and full of faith, dressed in the traditional attire of the Baianas. These women are heavily associated with the Candomblé religion which originated in Salvador, Bahia. The religion was developed in Brazil with the knowledge of African Priests that were enslaved and brought to Brazil, together with their mythology, their culture and language, between 1549 and 1888. To safely practice their religion, the slaves of Brazil had to hide and conflate their Gods or "Orishas" within the identities of Roman Catholic saints. In the background of this composition are the favelas. The patch worked hillside ghettos where many of the modern day blacks of Brazil choose or are forced to dwell. Looking down on the scene is the image of Cristo Redentor, the giant sculpture of Christ which looms above the city of Rio de Janeiro.