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My solo exhibition, 'Tales From The Amazon' was hosted in 'Global Art Gallery' in TLV (June-July 2024) and was inspired by my research and a personal experience in the Peruvian Amazon that combines primate conservation, indigenous culture and art and highlights the relationship between the Shipibo and the variety of primate species inhabiting the upper Ucayali river. The 2022 research explored the Shipibo primate interactions, the role of primates in the local cultural identity, society and day-to-day life, and monitored the primate populations. The heart of the exhibition is 13 paintings on cut slices of wood decorated with traditional Shipibo art. The cut wood as a substrate for the artworks conveys a poignant message about one of the most urgent threats to rainforests in the Amazon and tropical forests worldwide - deforestation - and the two-way connection between the loss of primates and the loss of the trees. Each artwork included the species name in the Shipibo language, along with elements from Shipibo legends, stories, everyday uses of the species, and my own field experiences. These works offered a glimpse into the complex relationships between humans and primates in the Amazon.
The inspiration for painting each species comes from the stories of the Shipibo and my personal experiences and observations while I was in the forest and the community. Among the paintings I presented were sculptures made of plastic waste, as the plastic pollution in the heart of the Amazon poses another threat to the landscape shared by local communities and primates and is harmful to human, animal, and ecological health.
With over 500 visitors, the exhibition brought to the Israeli audience the reality of a remote and wild place where any damage to nature has far-reaching consequences for humans. At this point in time and in the complex reality in which we live, it is essential to remember that even if we live in a concrete jungle, and even if our damage to nature and our disconnection from it does not affect us as directly as in the heart of the Amazon, it will affect us sooner or later. The exhibition also had conservation outcomes with 25% of the proceeds donated to Neotropical Primate Conservation, the NGO that collaborated with me during my MSc research. As all works were sold, the remaining funds will be reinvested in extending this research, which now forms the basis of my PhD. This work will continue through co-creation of knowledge and cooperation with Shipibo communities, recognising that the preservation of primates is inseparable from supporting biodiversity and cultural continuity on their land.
