Antonio Obá
Feitio da encruzilhada – estripulia, 2025
oil on canvas
óleo sobre tela
óleo sobre tela
100 x 80 cm
39 3/8 x 31 1/2 in
39 3/8 x 31 1/2 in
The work’s central figure expands on the theme of Figures from the Road, highlighting the idea of the crossing and the fortunate, or unfortunate, possibilities that follow our choices. This...
The work’s central figure expands on the theme of Figures from the Road, highlighting the idea of the crossing and the fortunate, or unfortunate, possibilities that follow our choices. This idea is communicated through the drama of the composition – a boy, centered in a threatening yet strangely playful pose, his gestures echoing the defensive (attack?) stance of the scorpion beneath his feet. Marked tension arises from the sharp contrast between light and shadow that seems to belong to the boy alone, as though he carried within himself the antagonistic nature of the path, of the crossroads. He offers no certainty; on the contrary, his blind gaze poses a challenge that summons courage – the courage that only fear can give. Charged with mystery, the night is a vivid enigma where all outcomes seem possible.