Jack traveled at length throughout the Americas between 2010-2015. His inspiration to work with Amazonian art began in 2016 after his encounter with Indigenous groups and key figures working within the Brazilian Amazon. In 2016, he opened a small gallery in his native Birmingham, England filled with artifacts from his various encounters. However, soon after, he found himself relocating to Peru in 2017 to open the first Xapiri art house in the center of Cusco; now located in the historical district of San Blas, where he and his team continue to deepen their relationships with communities and artists throughout the Peruvian Amazon under the organizational name Xapiri Ground. He sees ‘art’ as that which powers the people, greatly supporting the natural force that is Indigenous Amazonian culture.

Melanie is a Philippine-born interdisciplinary artist and designer from New York. In 2015, she went on a search to find alternative ways of living- away from cities, which brought her to California’s Mojave desert. Here she learned about earth building and permaculture at Cal Earth Institute before eventually landing herself in the Peruvian Amazon; where she lived three formative years in the town of Puerto Maldonado, learning about the nature and indigenous realities across the region of Madre de Dios and along the Las Piedras River. She came on board to work with Xapiri Ground in 2019 as creative director for exhibitions, projects, marketing, and communications.

Davis was born in the province of Quillabamba, in the department of Cusco. As a traveler and someone curious about the realities of the world, he turned to art and photography. He connected with Xapiri Ground since having met Jack in 2010, who offered direct insight into Amazonian culture and learned of the incredible cultural diversity that is being damaged and directly affecting the Indigenous communities. He believes Amazonian art to be a crucial form of expression that brings the knowledge of our ancestors to the societal world today; a type of artistic ancient wisdom that is increasingly being forgotten and in danger of being lost. "I believe that through art we can connect with all people no matter where we come from and to be aware of what we have."

Jorge was born in Cuzco. A passionate backpacker from a very young age; once he finished his engineering degree, he dedicated himself to travel the world for almost 10 years sharing with many cultures, customs and ways of seeing life across 5 continents including the jungles of Ecuador and Peru. He resonated deeply and connected with the forest and the wisdom of these people, to the point where he met Jack and Tui; close friends replete with the activism in favor for the Amazon that they proclaimed. Today, Jorge manages the space and resources of Xapiri Ground, as well as being on his own path of music creation. Already based in Cusco, he says he has already hung up the backpacker's backpack, we are not yet sure if his passion for traveling overcomes his passion for the jungle, but we are sure that each day he gives himself fully to Xapiri Ground.

Mariana was born in Lima but with a Cusquenian heart. Since her early youth, she felt the need to venture outside of her social bubble in order to know more about the world. She studied college in Argentina and has been a traveller since the age of 18, but later on established roots in Cusco. At the age of 30, she found her vocation with nature and the importance of plants. “In Xapiri I found a source of knowledge and as they say, "the universe puts you in the place where you should be.”

Tui Anandi (1992) is a Brazilian photographer from Paraty. He was a key part in the creation of Xapiri in 2015, and as the primary field photographer he has been on various expeditions to document the lifeways and artisanal processes of the Iskonawa, Matsés, Matsigenka and Shipibo-Konibo communities. Tui’s photography is his life’s work, as a native Brazilian having lived and worked around indigenous communities since a child, his passion is linked to the plight of the indigenous identity in the modern world.

Andrea is a Dancer, dance therapis, movement researcher, yogini and facilitator of cacao ceremonies. She is passionate about art, nature and vital food. Her interests led her to various dance and yoga related trainings in Peru, India and Argentina; and her curiosity, to different places in Latin America. She lived in the Amazon jungle of Madre de Dios for 3 years where she learned about plants, animals, ecosystems and indigenous cultures. In the Amazon jungle of Madre de Dios as well as in the high jungle of San Martin, and the Atlantic forest of Taboquinhas, Brazil, she collaborated in polyculture farms and received the knowledge of the use of cacao from its planting to its ceremonial preparation. The jungle is a space of nature that accompanies her growth and inspiration.

Born in Santiago, Chile, Valeria’s curiosity to understand the world, society, cultures and their manifestations, led her to obtain a degree in Social Anthropology, starting from there to work in various NGOs and social projects linked to communities, children, youth, etc.. Her taste for traveling and getting to know new horizons brought her to the land of Peru where she became enchanted with the socio-environmental diversity of its territory, finding in Cusco a place where she could settle and make for herself a life. As a member of Xapiri, her penchant for literature and research expands her into new ways of life and artistic expression.

Mariana was born in Argentina and 9 years ago she set out to get to know a bit of Latin America; Brazil, Ecuador and Peru; where she currently lives and where she fell in love with Cusco, its culture and its people. She defines herself as a born entrepreneur where she takes a liking for artisanal processes and results. With a penchant for cooking and experimentation, she started a brand of gluten-free handmade products where she experiments with different combinations of ingredients free of preservatives and additives. Guided by her curiosity, she is eager to discover new flavors and wild textures.

Claudia is a Peruvian journalist, illustrator and textile designer. Her academic training took place in Peru, Spain and Italy. From a very young age she discovered her passion for ancestral cultures and philosophies; above all, the artistic and traditional language that represents them. She has a great connection with nature and is a traveler and adventurous soul above all things. She has been practicing Buddhism, meditation and yoga for over twenty years. She has also had the good fortune to study the Andean tradition in depth and currently feels the same passion for studying the cultural diversity, artistic language and deep wisdom of the Amazon.