Aliana Zenon

I was born and raised in Niteroi, a city across Guanabara Bay in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. When I was a child, some of my mother's neighbors were worshipers of Candomble and Umbanda, the two major Afro-Brazilian religions practiced in Brazil. Although none of us in my family attended their ceremonies, every once in a while we would hear stories of their practices. That was what gave me the inspiration to create my own Candomble and Umbanda scenes.

I started writing a few years ago. I felt compelled to write about a story that has been with me since my childhood. Yemanja, the Goddess of the Sea has been my inspiration for a long time. I had a dream about her when I was eleven years old and that alone has inspired me to create pictures and literature about her.