MIF25: Santiago Yahuarcani – The Beginning of Knowledge at the Whitworth
Maja Lorkowska, Exhibitions EditorVisit now
Santiago Yahuarcani: The Beginning of Knowledge
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MIF25 brings otherworldly visions to the Whitworth with an exhibition of paintings by Peru-based artist Santiago Yahuarcani.
The Beginning of Knowledge gathers magical works by self-taught Yahuarcani, who belongs to the Aimeni clan (the White Heron clan) of the Uitoto Nation of northern Amazonia. His compositions feature enigmatic deities, powerful animals and humans in expansive landscapes, always returning to our frayed relationship with nature.
The paintings are created on llanchama, a vegetable cloth made from tree bark, and painted with natural dyes. In both the compositions and the painting process, the artist draws attention to the land and its destruction, highlighting colonial legacies and extractivist human activity. His canvases are haunted by the enslavement of the Uitoto people during the Peruvian rubber boom, the loss of spiritual guides that drives humans away from the natural world and, consequently, the climate catastrophe. We stopped listening to ancient wisdom and lost our way – Yahuarcani’s paintings are urging us to restore the connection with Mother Earth.
The artist does not draw on art history or a formal art education. Instead, his art comes from a deep need to share the stories and sacred wisdom of his ancestors and clan elders. Traditional Utitio myths are retold as narratives in constant flow that remain as relevant today as they were hundreds of years ago. Spiritual practices and medicinal plants are captured alongside historical episodes of colonial atrocities, making for chillingly raw yet beautiful works of art. Existing outside of mainstream trends allows him to continue the mission of confronting the past while preserving ancient wisdom for future generations.
Santiago Yahuarcani: The Beginning of Knowledge features more than 25 paintings, some of which were originally shown at the 60th Venice Biennale in 2024. The exhibition also includes new work and international loans, making it a rare chance to see the work of a very unique creative mind. Yahuarcani brings us face to face with some of the most important issues of our time with hope for a better, more connected future.
