miart 2025

Santiago Yahuarcani (b. 1961) is a self-taught Amazonian painter and sculptor from Peru, and a respected leader of the Uitoto and Bora peoples from the Ampiyacu River. At miart, he will showcase paintings created with natural dyes and acrylic on barkcloth, depicting mythical beings that embody forest spirits, ancestral guardians, and cosmic entities central to Uitoto cosmology. These figures, transmitted through generations via oral tradition, reflect the profound relationship between the Uitoto people, their environment, and spiritual beliefs. By introducing these narratives into contemporary art spaces, Yahuarcani preserves indigenous knowledge systems historically marginalized. His work broadens contemporary art discourse, with paintings exhibited at prestigious institutions including MoMA, the Venice Biennale, and the Van Abbemuseum. Upcoming solo exhibitions include The Whitworth Museum in Manchester and MASP in São Paulo.