José Adário dos Santos
Ferramenta de Exu Gira Mundo
José Adário, informally referred to as Zé Diabo, has not only risen to prominence as the foremost blacksmith-sculptor of Bahia’s candomblé rituals but has also gained recognition as an artist who pays homage to the Afro-diasporic roots embedded within his region’s culture. It’s important to highlight that Salvador holds the distinction of being the blackest city outside of the African continent. The work Ferramenta de Exu Gira Mundo embodies the essence of the Exu of Oxalá. In Yoruba, Èsù (Exu) translates to “sphere.” Exu represents the orisha of movement and is often seen as the most relatable among the Orishas due to the resemblance of his character to that of a human being, known for their inherent variability in actions and attitudes.
He stands as the patriarch of the Pantheon of the Orishas. The circular and somewhat cyclical design of his work symbolizes two fundamental concepts. Firstly, it embodies movement, serving as a representation of his role as the Exu and secondly, it signifies the world itself. The iron sculptures serve a significant purpose within candomblé, functioning as a form of mediation that establishes a connection between people and the orixás. This connection bridges the gap between the physical realm, known as Aiyê, and the spiritual realm, referred to as Orum.
José Adário dos Santos was born in the neighborhood of Caixa d’Água, Salvador, Bahia. At the age of 11, he began his work as a blacksmith of Afro-Brazilian religious artifacts [ferreiro de santo], learning from his master and mentor Maximiano Prates. Since then, he has manufactured gates and ritual implements: percussion instruments such as “agogôs” and iron sculptures that operate a kind of mediation between men and the gods of the religion known in Brazil as “Candomblé”- Although it was born in Bahia in the 19th century, Candomblé was formed from the African religious traditions of the Yoruba peoples. These traditions were brought to Brazil by enslaved black populations from West African countries such as Nigeria, Benin and Togo.