My Mother

Woodcut print on Werkdruck paper (Edition of 12), 60 x 50 cm, €550

In this woodcut I pay homage to my mother Dona Chiquinha, the strong protector of our family. A kind woman loved by all, she taught me to see the world through creative eyes. She raised seven children of her own, and also took care of some of her relatives. She left us in 2021, at the age of 97.

This piece is from Dreams and Memories, a series of 25 woodcuts I made to honor my beloved hometown of Caxias in Brazil’s Maranhão State. Caxienses are very religious and superstitious people, practicing traditions that come from Yoruba African, indigenous, and Portuguese cultures. The exhibition was held in Palacete do Senhor Alderico Silva—the “small palace” of Mr. A. Silva, Caxias’ richest man—a place of fear and curiosity for us.