The work portrays a woman carrying a jequi, a traditional fishing trap used by Indigenous peoples in Brazil. Here, the jequi is more than an object: it is a symbol of wisdom, patience, and sustenance. It evokes the spirit of the river and the cultures that learned to listen to nature before acting. By incorporating this element into the sculpture, Augustto Ribeiro creates a bridge between the folk art of the Jequitinhonha Valley and Indigenous knowledge — uniting his creative strength with these ancient paths through respect, reverence, and continuity.

This piece carries within it the meeting of ancestral forces. The hands that shaped it come from the Jequitinhonha Valley, yet the soul that inhabits it also honors Indigenous peoples. The woman carrying the jequi pays tribute to the waters and their traditions, evoking the river that gives the Valley its name.

More than a sculpture, it is a connection between past and present, earth and river, clay and spirit. The ceramics of the Valley are born from the earth itself and hold a profound respect for nature: every color used is extracted from clay, and every form celebrates the raw material that sustains us. Augustto transforms soil into art — clay into memory, firing into permanence, and gesture into beauty.

Hand-sculpted and painted with natural earth pigments, the piece is fired in a traditional wood-burning clay kiln, where the colors transform and come alive through an ancestral process that lasts for hours and reveals the enduring strength of tradition. The artist unites his own story with the living matter of clay, celebrating the knowledge that came before him and continues through him.

This is a unique work that carries the strength of ancestry, the delicacy of the handmade, and a commitment to a profound Brazil — one that honors its roots and transforms tradition into a living path. It invites reflection on our relationship with nature, respect for ancestral knowledge, and the role of art as a bridge between generations, especially honoring the strength of the women of the Valley who preserve and renew these stories.