What is a patuá and why was this word chosen as a name for this gallery? Well, a patuá carries the essence of what brasilidade means: it could have been anywhere and still, it holds our special way of doing things in itself.

It is something deeply and uniquely Brazilian, a small object that gathers within itself the many threads that form our culture. Brasilidade is not simply nationality, but a sensibility born from mixture (of ethnicities, but also beliefs, gestures, and everyday creativity). The ability to take elements from different origins and, through affection and improvisation, transform them into something new, familiar, and profoundly ours.

In that sense, a simple amulet becomes a symbol of brasilidade because it embodies this blending. A patuá holds influences from everywhere: Indigenous, African, European… coexisting without hierarchy. It carries faith, protection, and memory in a way that feels intimate and handmade, reflecting the way Brazilians often create meaning: with syncretism, with warmth, and with a deep respect for the invisible forces that shape life.

Even its name reveals this: Patuá comes from the Tupi language and originally referred to a small straw basket or box that can be used to store often sacred or ritualistic objects. In religions of African influence or origin — such as Candomblé, Umbanda, and Tambor de Crioula — the term evolved to describe a handcrafted amulet meant to protect, strengthen, and bring good energy to whoever carries it. But since decades you can see people from all religious traditions using something they call a patuá too. Did I mention we are very good as syncretism?

Although we might imagine patuás as belonging only to certain spiritual traditions, the truth is that many people have their own versions without even realizing it. A Catholic rosary for protection, a figa to ward off the evil eye, a rabbit’s foot for luck — all of these are forms of patuá. They come from different cultures, but in Brazil and around the world they share the same purpose: a small way to stay connected to something greater.