Sete Lagoas, Minas Gerais

Oratórios and paintings that celebrate popular faith and festivals

Painting of four figures flying kites in a green field, three standing and one sitting, with houses and a two-towered church on the horizon — Kites over an open field, with the town's houses and church on the horizon.
Painting

The same oratório open, with Mary and the Child, Joseph holding a staff and angels painted on the doors — A cut-out *oratório* with the Holy Family at the center and angels painted inside the doors. An *oratório* is a small household shrine with doors, traditional in Brazilian Catholic homes, made to hold or depict saints.
Oratório

Painting of four musicians in ribbon skirts, with drums and a guitar, at the foot of a pole with a saint's flag, under a yellow moon — A *congado* group playing at night around a pole with a saint's flag. *Congado* is an Afro-Brazilian religious festival of Minas Gerais honoring Our Lady of the Rosary and Saint Benedict, with drums, dances, kings and queens.
Painting

House-shaped oratório without doors and with a red roof: painted houses, an angel, a star and a nativity scene with three kings and animals — A house-shaped *oratório* with the nativity scene set in front of painted houses, under an angel and a shooting star. An *oratório* is a small household shrine with doors, traditional in Brazilian Catholic homes, made to hold or depict saints.
Oratório

Three-panel painting of a group in blue uniforms and white caps before a white and blue chapel, with bunting and green fireworks — A *congado* group celebrating before the chapel, with a drum, an accordion, guitars and a banner, under fireworks. *Congado* is an Afro-Brazilian religious festival of Minas Gerais honoring Our Lady of the Rosary and Saint Benedict, with drums, dances, kings and queens.
Painting

Open oratório with Jesus and Mary, each with a heart on the chest, and an angel under a heart on each door — The Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary side by side, with angels and hearts on the *oratório*'s doors. An *oratório* is a small household shrine with doors, traditional in Brazilian Catholic homes, made to hold or depict saints.
Oratório

Vertical painting of a huge yellow sun over a procession of men in white with fringes, drums, a guitar and an accordion — A *congado* group in procession, with a woman carrying a banner with a white dove; behind them, the church, oxen and banana trees. *Congado* is an Afro-Brazilian religious festival of Minas Gerais honoring Our Lady of the Rosary and Saint Benedict, with drums, dances, kings and queens.
Painting

Erlei Pereira is a self-taught naïf painter from Sete Lagoas, in the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais. He paints wooden oratórios (household shrines) and canvases celebrating Brazilian popular culture — congado, capoeira, village festivals and faith. He took part in the 15th Bienal Naïfs do Brasil.

15 works

Oratórios

Hand-painted household shrines, with the saint of your devotion.

See the oratórios

A house-shaped oratório with the nativity scene set in front of painted houses, under an angel and a shooting star. An oratório is a small household shrine with doors, traditional in Brazilian Catholic homes, made to hold or depict saints.
Oratório
The Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary side by side, with angels and hearts on the oratório's doors. An oratório is a small household shrine with doors, traditional in Brazilian Catholic homes, made to hold or depict saints.
Oratório
Our Lady of Aparecida, patron saint of Brazil, in the niche of a blue oratório, among flowers, with spirals on the doors. An oratório is a small household shrine with doors, traditional in Brazilian Catholic homes, made to hold or depict saints.
Oratório
An oratório with its doors closed, with a town's houses and a church painted under a turquoise sky. An oratório is a small household shrine with doors, traditional in Brazilian Catholic homes, made to hold or depict saints.
Oratório
The Nativity on a red background, under the star, with angels painted inside the oratório's doors. An oratório is a small household shrine with doors, traditional in Brazilian Catholic homes, made to hold or depict saints.
Oratório
The Nativity with the Wise Men and an angel above; on the oratório's doors, four angels. An oratório is a small household shrine with doors, traditional in Brazilian Catholic homes, made to hold or depict saints.
Oratório

22 works

Paintings

Each painting is born from a festival Erlei knows first-hand.

See the paintings

A congado group playing at night around a pole with a saint's flag. Congado is an Afro-Brazilian religious festival of Minas Gerais honoring Our Lady of the Rosary and Saint Benedict, with drums, dances, kings and queens.
Painting
A congado group celebrating before the chapel, with a drum, an accordion, guitars and a banner, under fireworks. Congado is an Afro-Brazilian religious festival of Minas Gerais honoring Our Lady of the Rosary and Saint Benedict, with drums, dances, kings and queens.
Painting
A congado group in procession, with a woman carrying a banner with a white dove; behind them, the church, oxen and banana trees. Congado is an Afro-Brazilian religious festival of Minas Gerais honoring Our Lady of the Rosary and Saint Benedict, with drums, dances, kings and queens.
Painting
The Three Kings dancing under the star, as in the Folia de Reis. Folia de Reis is an Epiphany tradition in which musicians travel house to house, following the Three Kings, with a banner.
Painting
A festa junina in the chapel street, with couples dancing and bunting, beneath Saint Anthony holding the Child. Festa junina is a June festival honoring Saints Anthony, John and Peter, with bonfires, flags, quadrilha dances and fireworks.
Painting
Music and dancing on a dirt road, with children, a dog and the hillside houses behind.
Painting

A shelf in the studio, full of household shrines and angel paintings

Every work is discussed directly with the artist.

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Price, availability and commissions are discussed directly with the artist.

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