Digital Dance for Eshu is part of a series of action painting performances by Sandro Masai dedicated to the Orishas, Yoruban gods.

DANCES FOR THE ORISHAS – Ritualistic Action Paintings by Sandro Masai is a multimedia decolonial art project that includes ritualistic performances, paintings and artist talks. This project is inspired by the Afro-Yoruban mythology and the artworks are dedicated to the Orishas, Yoruba gods. The Yoruba community is originally from Nigeria, but it has spread across the Americas and Europe with the slave trade during the colonial time (1500-1900).

Sandro comes from Brazil, where the Yoruba tradition is very strong today. In the Yoruba tradition you sing and dance to worship the Orishas. Most Orishas are representations of natural phenomena, such as Yemanjá, the sea goddess, Shangô, the god of lightning and thunder, Oshun, the goddess of the rivers and waterfalls, Obatalá, the god of peace, Eshu, the god of communication – the messenger between worlds, Oshosi, the spirit of the forest, and so on. Each Orisha is celebrated with a certain music rhythm, dance choreography and a colour or a combination of colours.

In this exhibition, Sandro presents a series of visual artworks celebrating various Orishas through dance expressions.

This project is kindly supported by Aalborg Kommune and Statens Kunstfond

Digital Dance for Eshu had the technical support of Anderson Oliveira.

Images: Extracts for the dance for Eshu