Bandits & Saints of Brazil in Detroit Through January 5th

ALPHA OMEGA ARTS
By TAHLIB

Candomble Ceremony by Didito of Maracujipe, Bahia. Courtesy of Convida.org.

MICHIGAN---Detroit's Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History presents the exhibition "Bandits & Heroes, Poets & Saints" which tells the story of how African, European, and indigenous cultural traditions interacted in Brazil for 500 years. The exhibition includes nearly 200 works of art by more than 50 artists, but the most critical part of the exhibition is the "Expressions of Faith," segment. It explores the African-Brazilian religion of Candomblé which combines traditional African roots and Roman Catholicism, while also exploring the evangelical faith of the Northeast. In the exhibition, life-size mannequins of orixás (forged iron symbols of African deities) wearing colorful vestments of Candomblé can be viewed along with actual footage of the Candomblé ceremony in Bahia.

Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History: "Bandits & Heroes, Poets & Saints," (Ends January 5, 2014); 315 East Warren Avenue at Brush Street; Detroit, MI; (313) 494-5808; thewright.org