The Beginning of Knowledge is the first international solo exhibition of works by Santiago Yahuarcani – artist, Indigenous activist and leader of the Aimeni (White Heron) clan of the Uitoto people.

Yahuarcani’s paintings are rooted in the history of the Uitoto Nation, the memories of his ancestors, and the ecosystem of the Amazon rainforest. From portrayals of Uitoto origin stories to memories of the enslavement of the Uitoto people during the Putumayo genocide (1879-1912), the works honour and preserve intergenerational knowledge and invite us to consider how Indigenous knowledge can shape a more just and interconnected future.

Santiago Yahuarcani, El mundo del agua (Water world) 2024, natural dyes and acrylic on llanchama, 290 x 680 cm. © Santiago Yahuarcani. Photo: Juan Pablo Murrugarra. Courtesy CRISIS Gallery Lima-Madrid.