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The state of Pará is the gateway to the Amazon. Its colours are strong and vibrant. Its music is unique and sensual. Its capital, Belém, hosts the biggest religious event in South America and perhaps in the world – the Círio de Nazaré procession. Time to eat duck in wild yam sauce, yam leaf stew or fish stew. The city becomes alive with colour. The rivers welcome decorated boats and the faithful from all over Brazil and the rest of the world come together to worship their patron saint.
Very close to the capital is Icoaraci, an important centre for the production and distribution of the Amazon’s indigenous style ceramics. On the streets workshops abound and people live mainly from this trade. When talking of Icoaraci one can’t forget to mention Master Cardoso. He teaches us how to squat on the ground to work, just like his indigenous ancestors. Mixing clay with ground pebbles, his reproductions are precise and his strong, refined sculptures reflect his very soul. Fortunately the invasion of manufactured toys in Pará hasn’t made the traditional Buriti palm stalk toy makers redundant. At the Círio procession they help fill the city with colour, bringing joy to life just like the profusion of seeds, wood and roots that are so peculiar to the place. |
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