A centerpiece of Axé Bahia, J. Cunha’s Códice (Codex), 2010–2015, is a vibrant installation of twenty-one painted panels illustrating the central tenets of Candomblé and Umbanda—two distinct Afro-Brazilian religions. In this gallery talk, Axé Bahia lead curator Patrick A. Polk decodes Cunha’s colorful iconography of orixás, mythological tales, cosmological themes, and historical events.

#CultureFix is a short-format series of gallery talks featuring artists, curators, and other luminaries. No reservation required. All talks are free of charge.

Parking available in UCLA Lot 4, 398 Westwood Plaza, directly off Sunset Blvd | $12/day

About the Exhibition
Axé Bahia: The Power of Art in an Afro-Brazilian Metropolis, explores the distinctive cultural role of the city of Salvador, the coastal capital of the Brazilian state of Bahia and an internationally renowned center of Afro-Brazilian culture. Featuring more than 100 works from the mid-20th century to the present, including a stunning array of sculpture, painting, photography, video, and installation art, the exhibition explores the complexities of race and cultural affiliation in Brazil, and the provoca­tive ways in which artists have experienced and responded creatively to prevailing realities of Afro-Brazilian identity in Bahia.