Santiago Yahuarcani
Castigos del caucho
The series Castigos del caucho by Santiago Yahuarcani originates in the oral memory transmitted by the artist’s grandfather, who was a survivor of the Putumayo genocide where thousands of Indigenous people were annihilated and enslaved to extract rubber from the Amazon forest between 1879 and 1912. Yahuarcani’s complex narrative paintings on tree bark highlight a long history of colonial violence against the Uitoto and other Indigenous communities. They also show the destruction of the rainforest under Western models of extraction, privatization, and development. Yahuarcani’s images meticulously depict the immense cruelty and destruction inflicted on the bodies and territories for economic profit. The works remember a history of exploitation and reclaim respect for their ancestral knowledge, calling for urgent action to prevent the devastation of the Amazon.