Brazilian artist's anti-colonialism work resonates with Chinese audience
Sentinel No. 2 depicts an elegant black mother and his suavely dressed adult son, which, as revealed by the artist, was inspired by a photo of a 19th-century middle-class black family. Through this piece, Oba shows an affluent, genteel black family that defies the stereotypical black family – impoverished, unstable, and criminal. "The artist also makes an obscure reference to the black slave masters in the 19th-century America, which he criticizes," Rao remarked.
Also on view in Gallery 5 are another two paintings which mirror the influence of African folk culture on Oba's creation.
Both titled The Dismantling of Sankofa, the two pieces show the elements of the popular bird totem Sankofa originating in present-day Ghana, a West African country. The African totem, now often inked on skin or used for various design purposes, is a mythical bird that holds an egg in its beak and turns its head backward. Meaning "go back and get it", Sankofa refers to the philosophy of reflecting on the past to build a successful future.
