Eloiza Montanha - PATUÁ

Patuá refers to protective amulets found across different Brazilian popular and religious traditions. Traditionally carried close to the body, these objects are associated with protection, faith and a connection to the spiritual world. The word also carries broader associations with memory, ancestry and the ways in which objects and symbols can be used to create a sense of protection and meaning.
The work is part of Eloiza Montanha’s ongoing research into “tropical mysticism”, a visual language that explores the relationship between spirituality, nature, symbolism and Brazilian popular imagery. Her paintings combine human figures, animals, plants and symbolic elements to create an imaginary space between the everyday and the mythical, drawing from Brazilian and broader Latin American visual references.
In Patuá, the horse, female figure, birds, snake, botanical forms and geometric motifs become part of this symbolic narrative. Rather than representing a specific religious tradition, the painting creates its own visual mythology around ideas of protection, transformation and connection with the natural and spiritual worlds.