Arhuacos

“Arhuacos” original is made of graphite, acrylic, and resin on canvas. 24 x 36 inches. Includes a certificate of authenticity.

This artwork is both a drawing (the two girls) and a painting (the background.) I wanted to share the story behind the image I photographed of two indigenous Arhuaco girls which the drawing features. Deep within the vast mountains of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, Colombia resides the Arhuaco Indigenous tribe. Their feet bare against the earth, hair dark and long, dressed in full white garments, they radiate wisdom. I had the pleasure of dwelling in their extremely remote village of San Sebastián during the summer of 2017. I stayed in one of their traditional huts, was fed from their garden, and was guided to their sacred waterfall. The Arhuaco people were caring hosts and often bared a loving smile, yet were mostly quiet, meditative people. Through understanding indigenous cultures like the ancient Arhuacos, wisdom can be gained about various matters such as plant medicine, maintaining peace in a society, and most notably how to be in harmony with the environment and its other creatures. Broader than simply the Arhuacos, all indigenous groups are important, and their cultures and knowledge are valuable to improving our own culture. Modernization, certain governments, and environmental issues threaten these indigenous groups. There needs to be more action taken to protect these groups and the wilderness which is their home and essential to their survival. Ideally, more awareness of these archaic indigenous groups such as the Arhuacos will bring more endearment for maintaining the existence of their culture. Through this artwork, I hope to bring awareness to the Arhuaco tribe which is being threatened and to donate a portion of the proceeds back to the Arhuacos. Their rich culture which is thousands of years old, dating back to before the Mayans, is too precious to be forgotten. I hope you will join me on this journey of keeping their legacy alive.