Pact with the Devil

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

We once believed that the wealth of Mr. A. Silva, the richest man in my hometown of Caxias, came from a pact he made with the devil—who was said to live in the tower of his “small palace.” While we were afraid to pass in front of this residence, we also had a giant curiosity to visit it.

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.