Francesco Clemente, born Naples, Italy 1952 Search this
Medium:
oil on canvas
Dimensions:
74 x 81 in. (188.0 x 205.7 cm)
Type:
Painting
Date:
2006
Gallery Label:
The Weight of Light draws from the colors and iconography of the Afro-Brazilian religion Candomblé, according to which Oshalá, an emissary of God, climbed down a chain to create the earth. Born out of the transatlantic slave trade, this spiritual tradition combines African beliefs with Catholic practices. Clemente fractures white light into its rainbow elements to paint a looping chain, an emblem of slavery; the image suggests a connection between the two continents as well as a bridge uniting Candomblé's African roots and its New World practitioners.