Alegoria sobre Ruby - Iniciações [Allegory of Ruby - Initiations] interprets an archival image of Ruby Bridges who, in 1960, in New Orleans, became the first Afro-American girl to enroll in a primary school for white students. Ever since her childhood, the color of her skin was the primary obstacle in her life, inevitably marking her entire schooling process.
Taking a photograph of Ruby as a point of departure, Antonio Obá adds an extraneous element to the composition – the girl is holding a golden plate in her hand. On this plate we see a single tooth which appears to be hers. This detail suggests the idea of a sacrifice made before the manifestation of a miraculous event. Obá is drawing from Christian iconography and the syncretic symbology of Saint Lucia of Syracuse, who was martyred for refusing to renounce her vows. As a result of this, her eyes were gouged out by a soldier. Miraculously, a new pair of eyes, more beautiful than the first, appeared on her face instantly. This event is the reason Saint Lucia is often depicted wielding a plate on which she offers her eyes.
Etymologically speaking, the name Lucia comes from the Latin word for light, “lux”, which is physically necessary for visual perception, for seeing through darkness. In Afro-Brazilian religious traditions, Saint Lucia represents Ewa, a female character in Yoruba mythology who became a brave warrior and hunter, and is often depicted as a pure and innocent young girl.
In this work, Ruby embodies all these potential roles while facing the adversities imposed by her racial and sociopolitical context and offering her tooth. The loss of a tooth is symbolic, it is an indelible mark of personal growth and the journey to maturity. Ruby sacrifices and offers that which will come back again, more beautiful than before, in her smile – a smile that keeps its lightness despite the harsh battles that Ruby has to fight.