▁life ." Bre ton ▁did ▁not ▁know ▁that ▁Maria ’ s ▁interest ▁in ▁her ▁cultural ▁myth s ▁pre - dated ▁her ▁invol vement ▁with ▁the ▁Sur real ists ▁by ▁over ▁a ▁de cade . ▁This ▁can ▁be ▁seen ▁in ▁the ▁works ▁she ▁made ▁in ▁the ▁mid - to - late ▁ 1 9 3 0 s ▁under ▁the ▁influence ▁of ▁Catherine ▁Bar j ans ki ▁whom ▁she ▁studied ▁with ▁in ▁Paris , ▁and ▁Oscar ▁Jes pers ▁whom ▁she ▁studied ▁with ▁in ▁Belg ium . ▁Though ▁most ▁of ▁the ▁sculpt ures ▁Mart ins ▁made ▁before ▁moving ▁to ▁America ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 9 ▁are ▁now ▁lost , ▁a ▁visual ▁record ▁of ▁these ▁works ▁is ▁found ▁in ▁an ▁un pub lished ▁photograph ▁album ▁that ▁she ▁assemble d ▁in ▁the ▁early ▁ 1 9 4 0 s ▁document ing ▁her ▁early ▁sculpt ures . ▁Mart ins ▁car ved ▁her ▁early ▁figures ▁in ▁wood ▁from ▁the ▁subt rop ical ▁j ac ar anda ▁tree , ▁which ▁is ▁native ▁to ▁Brazil . ▁Jac ar anda ’ s ▁straight ▁gra in ▁and ▁relatively ▁soft , ▁kn ot - free ▁properties ▁made ▁it ▁ideal ▁for ▁sculpt ing . ▁Mart ins ▁chose ▁this ▁specific ▁wood ▁also ▁to ▁reson ate ▁with ▁the ▁Brazil ian ▁them es ▁of ▁her ▁work . ▁Her ▁ 1 9 3 9 ▁work ▁“ Mac um ba ” ▁references ▁the ▁under ground ▁Af ro - B raz ilian ▁religion , ▁imag ery ▁she ▁frequently ▁references ▁in ▁subsequent ▁works . ▁ ▁Ét ant ▁donn és ▁ ▁Mart ins