Gustavo Nazareno's Orixás Paintings Merge Baroque Light with Afro-Brazilian Spirituality
Gustavo Nazareno, a Brazilian artist, creates oil paintings and charcoal drawings that delve into the Orixás, deities from the Yoruba tradition found in Afro-Brazilian faiths such as Candomblé. His artwork merges elements of Catholic symbolism, Baroque chiaroscuro, and fashion photography to explore themes of visibility, erasure, and religious syncretism. After relocating to São Paulo in 2018, a priest provided him with studio space to create seven portraits of male Orixás, profoundly influencing his faith and artistic vision. Raised in the Catholic faith, Nazareno reflects on Brazil's tendency to mask Orixás within Catholic art. His creative process involves writing fables and studying wooden models by candlelight. His exhibition, "How to Grow a Flower from a Supernova," is set to debut at Opera Gallery Paris on June 24, 2026, and will continue until July 17, 2026.
Key facts
- Gustavo Nazareno creates paintings of Orixás, deities from Yoruba spiritual tradition preserved in Afro-Brazilian Candomblé
- His artistic practice transformed after moving to São Paulo in 2018 and visiting a terreiro following his aunt's spiritual intuition
- A Candomblé priest offered him studio space in exchange for seven portraits of male Orixás
- Nazareno was raised Catholic and previously studied Renaissance religious art
- He uses candlelight to study wooden models, creating dramatic chiaroscuro effects influenced by Caravaggio
- His exhibition "How to Grow a Flower from a Supernova" opens at Opera Gallery Paris on June 24, 2026
- Nazareno's work appears in the group exhibition "Dreaming in Colour" at Opera Gallery London
- He writes fables about the Orixás before painting them, considering writing the foundation of his visual process
Entities
Artists
- Gustavo Nazareno
- Caravaggio
- Irving Penn
Institutions
- Opera Gallery Paris
- Opera Gallery London
- GUSN Studio
- Estudio em Ombra
Locations
- São Paulo
- Brazil
- Paris
- France
- London
- United Kingdom
- Três Pontas