Through religious paintings Waldomiro de Deus draws on elements from Christian and Yoruba faiths, often without strict adherence to their principles, making the meaning of his compositions enigmatic. In Brazil, boizebú can be translated from Portuguese as "devil," a probable reference to the central figure differentiated by its headdress and red eyes emitting yellow rays. A wingless figure sits awkwardly below the boizebú. Exactly what ritual’s taking place is unclear. The snakes twisted around either side of the devil’s chair are often associated with the Christian figure, Satan, but could also reference the rainbow serpent Oxumare, an Afro-Brazilian Candomble deity that’s both male and female, acting as a conduit between the earthly world and spirits of the dead. Regardless of the ultimate reading, de Deus has painted a powerful image of mysticism.

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