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Erlei Pereira

Paintings

Each painting is born from a festival Erlei knows first-hand.

Painting of four musicians in ribbon skirts, with drums and a guitar, at the foot of a pole with a saint's flag, under a yellow moon

A congado group playing at night around a pole with a saint's flag. Congado is an Afro-Brazilian religious festival of Minas Gerais honoring Our Lady of the Rosary and Saint Benedict, with drums, dances, kings and queens.

Painting

22 works

  • Painting of four boys in shorts flying kites under a turquoise sky, with a dog in front

    Boys flying kites on a hilltop, with their backs to the viewer.

    Painting

  • Painting of musicians and dancers outside a small bar, with tables and bottles, a Brazilian flag and houses on the hill

    A samba circle in the street outside a small bar, with a guitar, a tambourine and people dancing.

    Painting

  • Vertical painting of a huge yellow sun over a procession of men in white with fringes, drums, a guitar and an accordion

    A congado group in procession, with a woman carrying a banner with a white dove; behind them, the church, oxen and banana trees. Congado is an Afro-Brazilian religious festival of Minas Gerais honoring Our Lady of the Rosary and Saint Benedict, with drums, dances, kings and queens.

    Painting

  • Panoramic painting of a street festival, with kites, paper balloons and fireworks in the sky, bunting, a yellow church, houses and a crowd

    A festival in the town street, with people gathered in front of the church and the houses hung with bunting.

    Painting

  • Painting of an ox cart loaded with sugarcane, pulled by a pair of white oxen and a pair of brown oxen, with farmhands in hats

    A carro de boi hauling harvested sugarcane, led by farmhands. A carro de boi is the traditional ox cart of rural Brazil.

    Painting

  • Night painting of fireworks and paper balloons over two towered churches, with bunting, a crowd and three costumed figures

    A festa junina night in the square between two churches, with fireworks, paper balloons and bunting. Festa junina is a June festival honoring Saints Anthony, John and Peter, with bonfires, flags, quadrilha dances and fireworks.

    Painting

The Three Kings dancing under the star, as in the Folia de Reis. Folia de Reis is an Epiphany tradition in which musicians travel house to house, following the Three Kings, with a banner.

Painting of three crowned kings dancing with staffs under a yellow star, on a blue background

Painting

  • Painting of two capoeira players upside down, a berimbau player, two decorated ox figures, children with a ball and houses behind

    A capoeira circle on open ground, with children, a mother holding her baby and festival oxen behind. Capoeira is an Afro-Brazilian art combining martial art, dance and music.

    Painting

  • Painting of a circle of men in light trousers on a dirt street, with a tambourine, a berimbau and a drum, a blue church and houses behind

    A circle on a dirt street, with two men in the center and the others around them, before the blue church and the hillside houses.

    Painting

  • Painting of a capoeira circle with a drum, two players in white trousers at the center, a white two-towered church and a hillside town

    A capoeira circle in the square, with people gathered around and the town climbing the hill behind. Capoeira is an Afro-Brazilian art combining martial art, dance and music.

    Painting

  • Vertical painting of two people dancing with colorful umbrellas in front of a three-towered church, with costumed figures behind

    Street dancing with colorful umbrellas in the church square, with other revelers behind.

    Painting

  • Three-panel painting of a group in blue uniforms and white caps before a white and blue chapel, with bunting and green fireworks

    A congado group celebrating before the chapel, with a drum, an accordion, guitars and a banner, under fireworks. Congado is an Afro-Brazilian religious festival of Minas Gerais honoring Our Lady of the Rosary and Saint Benedict, with drums, dances, kings and queens.

    Painting

  • Vertical painting of colorful houses on a hill, with three kites in the sky, a woman with a basket on her head, children and dogs on the slope

    A steep slope of houses packed together, with children flying kites and a woman climbing with a basket on her head.

    Painting

  • Painting of Saint Anthony holding the Child and lilies inside a yellow moon, above bunting, a blue chapel and couples dancing in the street

    A festa junina in the chapel street, with couples dancing and bunting, beneath Saint Anthony holding the Child. Festa junina is a June festival honoring Saints Anthony, John and Peter, with bonfires, flags, quadrilha dances and fireworks.

    Painting

  • Painting of a group playing guitar and drums and dancing on a red dirt road, with hillside houses and kites in the sky

    Music and dancing on a dirt road, with children, a dog and the hillside houses behind.

    Painting

  • Painting of a decorated ox figure with a blue cloak of white flowers and the flags of Brazil and Minas Gerais, and a two-towered church on a hill

    A festival ox dancing on bare ground, with men in hats around it and a girl in braids beside it, under bunting.

    Painting

  • Painting of Saint Francis of Assisi with hands joined in prayer and white doves, before a yellow three-towered church and houses

    Saint Francis of Assisi among the doves, surrounded by churches, a long stairway and hillside houses.

    Painting

  • Night painting of a group in orange uniforms and white caps, with an accordion, a drum and a banner with a white dove, under a full moon

    A congado group at night before the church, with the dove banner at the center. Congado is an Afro-Brazilian religious festival of Minas Gerais honoring Our Lady of the Rosary and Saint Benedict, with drums, dances, kings and queens.

    Painting

  • Painting of four figures flying kites in a green field, three standing and one sitting, with houses and a two-towered church on the horizon

    Kites over an open field, with the town's houses and church on the horizon.

    Painting

  • Painting of a group in red uniforms and white caps playing an accordion, drums and a guitar, with a dove banner, before a white church

    A congado group before the church, with a woman carrying the dove banner, children, donkeys and banana trees around them. Congado is an Afro-Brazilian religious festival of Minas Gerais honoring Our Lady of the Rosary and Saint Benedict, with drums, dances, kings and queens.

    Painting

  • Painting of a group dressed as sailors, in white, with guitars and tambourines, before a ship moored at the dock

    A marujos group of the congado gathered at the dock, before the ship. Marujos are a congado group dressed as sailors. Congado is an Afro-Brazilian religious festival of Minas Gerais honoring Our Lady of the Rosary and Saint Benedict, with drums, dances, kings and queens.

    Painting

A shelf in the studio, full of household shrines and angel paintings

Every work is discussed directly with the artist.

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