2023

Ceramics

16 x 14 x 10 inches

This sculpture has to do with my Brazilian heritage mainly because I sculpted two native Brazilian animals, the redhead bald monkey, and the capybara. As a Brazilian, I never felt like we can be proud of an expressive native ancient civilization that left behind artifacts to be found in archeological sites, such as the Aztecs or Mayans. So I created this ancient Brazilian relic depicting figures that could be interpreted as worshipped guardians of the rainforest. That's why I added the stone-looking texture to it, oxidized metal inlays, and moss, to make it look as if it was found in the middle of the tropical rainforest.

The detail photo shows the back part of the piece, showing the hat that the red-headed monkey carries which has the Brazilian flag dismantled into its four primary shapes to subtly suggest the connection between the piece and my Brazilian cultural heritage in a visual way. What can also be seen is the oxidized golden metal inlays, especially on the top of the head, which indicate how ancient the sculpture could be.