Brazilian Candomble Orixa Goddess Golden Resin Sculpture, "Golden Ocean Mother Goddess"

Exquisitely gowned in frothy bronze and gold, a dancer personifies Yemanjá. She embodies the energy of all the earth's waters and is considered the mother of all Candomblé orixás (gods).

The Candomblé religion is widely observed in northeastern Brazil. The name derives from kandombele, a Congolese-Angolan word meaning "to pray." Practiced in South America since slaves were brought over from Africa by the Portuguese, it combines Yoruban practices with Roman Catholic imagery. The orixás (gods) are the forces of the earth; song and dance are a form of worship and the dance impersonates the god.

Hugo Negrini crafts an image that is both beautiful and ethnographically correct. He first carves the image in wood, taking as long as 50 or 60 days depending on the degree of details in the piece. When the statuette is ready, he makes a silicone rubber mold, and casts the sculpture in resin.