Shipibo Konibo – Yanesha – Bora – Mashiguenka – Kishwa

During visits to Amazonian communities, I appreciated their knowledge of the use and study of color as pigments applied to wood, plant fibers, seeds, and other natural materials. I met master artisans who have always experimented with the colors of their surroundings. When asked, “How did you learn this process?” they respond, “By doing it at home.” Each personal story is a different way of understanding color, and I can narrate some of them.

One of the first masters I met was Elena Valera, and I learned from her during the workshop she gave at the Museo de la Cultura Peruana. I learned about palillo, huito, mahogany bark, and achiote, and the different shades of color you can obtain from each material, whether with mordants or toners. “Bawan Jisbe” is a Shipibo Konibo artist, painter, and Ayahuasca ceremony leader who understands and recognizes the power of plants through color and their healing qualities.