Orisha October 1, 2010

The Orishas
This art exhibit will explore the spiritual and visual interpretations of the Orisha by various artists representing the orisha origins of West Africa, and the Yoruba impact in the Caribbean and its Santeria practices. Santeria is a religious manifestation, which recognizes the direct contact of human beings with their ancestors and with forces of nature. It contains two basic concepts: Ache and ebbo. Ache is divine power. By mediating through Ache, anything imaginable is possible. All the ceremonies and rituals are made to obtain this divine power of the Orisha. With Ache all the problems can be solved and any kind of obstacle can be overcome. Ebbo is the sacrifice by which Orishas can free the person from diseases, witchcraft, and prison. Ebbo could be gifts to the Orishas such as flowers, fruits, candles or favorite dishes of the Orishas. Many ethnic Yoruba were taken as slaves to Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Brazil, Venezuela and the rest of the New World (chiefly in the 19th century, after the Ọyọ empire collapsed and the region plunged into civil war), and carried their religious beliefs with them. These concepts were combined with preexisting African-based cults, Christianity, Native American mythology, and Kardecist Spiritism into various New World lineages. Through art we are able to explore and express the various aspects of the practice and beliefs.