Brazilian artist's anti-colonialism work resonates with Chinese audience

Religion is another pronounced clue running through the creations of Oba, who grew up in a staunchly Catholic family and even considered pursuing theology at a specific time when he was younger.

The religious references in Oba's works are meant to challenge the national myth that the Brazilian religious universe is a syncretic mix between the colonists' religion Catholicism and African faiths. The latter, however, have been marginalized and sometimes even "neglected and rejected", a problem caused by the country's cultural and educational system, said the artist in his 2017 interview with the PIPA Institute curator Luiz Camillo Osorio.

Oba's works, as an antidote, spotlight the African elements in the Brazilian religious fabric.