Mpambu Nzila
José Bedia at the Crossroads
Datos Bibliográficos
| ID | 3299251 |
|---|---|
| Autores | Alan West-Durán (Northeastern University, autor de correspondencia) |
| Año | 2021 |
| Volumen | 12 |
| Número | 3 |
| Páginas | 172 |
| Fecha de publicación | 2021-03-06 |
| Peer Reviewed | Sí |
| Open Access | Sí |
| Tipo | ARTICLE |
| Revista | Religions (JOURNAL) |
| Identificadores de la revista | ISSN: 2077-1444 • E-ISSN: 2077-1444 |
| Editorial | MDPI AG (PUBLISHER • IT) |
| DOI | 10.3390/rel12030172 |
| OpenAlex | W3135384735 |
| Idioma | EN |
| Citas recibidas | 1 |
| Referencias citadas | 4 |
The article draws on the Kongo term mpambu nzila of crossroads, that equally signifies altar, to discuss the paintings and drawings of Cuban-born artist José Bedia. He is a practitioner of Palo Briyumba, a syncretic Afro-Cuban religion that combines Kongo religious beliefs, Regla de Ocha, Spiritism, and Catholicism. The article examines six works by the artist from 1984 to 1999 and how Bedia represents Palo in his art. Additionally, the centrality of the nganga (a cauldron that paleros use to work for and protect them) is discussed historically, philosophically, and religiously as a physical and spiritual embodiment of the crossroads. Bedia's work is also analyzed using the Sankofa bird as metaphor (of flying forward and looking back) and as an example of the West African notion of coolness. The article also examines Palo as a de-colonial way of knowing and ends with the crossroads through the example of Lucero Mundo (Elegguá
Aesthetics · Altar · Archaeology · Art · Art history · Centrality · Ceremony · Metaphor · Painting · Sociology · Theology · Visual arts · African history and culture studies · Colonialism, slavery, and trade · Cuban History and Society · History · Philosophy
| Obras citantes distintas | 1 |
|---|---|
| Citas por año | 1 |
| Intervalo de citas | 2025 - 2025 (1) |
| Velocidad de citación | recent |
| Altamente citado | No |
| Tipos de cita | Neutras: 1 |