Oxalá is part of a body of work that focuses on the deities of Candomblé, a religion primarily practiced in South America that integrates aspects of traditional Yoruba, Fon, and Bantu faiths from various regions of Africa. The sculpture is named after a deity, the father of the sky and creator of human bodies, nodding to Oxalá’s other name, the “white deity.”

Emanoel Araújo’s interest in African religions began after he traveled to Nigeria in 1977 and attended the Second World Black and African Festival of Arts and Culture. After this exposure to traditional and contemporary African artworks, Araujo frequently incorporated African imagery in his work.