Soon after discovering that his destiny was tied to painting, he ran away from home to Bahia, “the backdoor of Yoruba and Condomble”, as he calls it, a reference to the African religion and its ceremonies and rituals. Enjoying the culture that Bahia offered, Ernani worked on improving his technique and in 1969 migrated to the United States. Since then in his own words his work has become “less primitive”, yet continues to reflect his

homeland of Brazil in its various forms, feelings and moods. Ernani work sometimes borders on the mystical or bizarre and at other times his work is funny and satirical. 

As Ernani Silva continues his journey as a career artist with over fifty years of experience, his abstract paintings continue to evoke his cultural content of his native Brazil together with his African and Indian heritage. “Striking colors, rhythm and movement – at times he becomes a choreographer and purposefully directs the figures on the canvas and at other times, he is a storyteller documenting elements of his culture and folklore or an activist fighting for the preservation of disappearing peoples – all combine to produce a very visceral response in the viewer.”