The ancestral stories of the Matsigenka express the complex relationships between human, nature and spirit within which their beliefs, morals and emotions are shaped. These tales are told over the course of a few minutes to several hours depending on the audience and the storyteller’s memory and imagination. Many elders of the community have told us how increasingly challenging it has become to transmit their oral traditions to the younger generation today, with the broadening of social influences and technologies surrounding them.

This exhibition is a Xapiri Ground project in co-creation with the Shipetiari Indigenous Community and artist Davis Torres, realized over the course of two years beginning in May of 2023. The objective was to create a visual representation of the Matsigenka traditional storytelling and iconography through the activity of a collective mural that would inspire a revitalisation of sharing these stories between Matsigenka elders and youth, and an appreciation from visitors to the community.

This video documents the process and the voices of the artist, community, and Xapiri Ground.

Video edition: Melanie Dizon

Photography: Davis Torres, Melanie Dizon, Arturo Díaz Quirox

Translation: Melanie Dizon, Boris Semperi Cabrera

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These creative representations now reside in their community hall, where their meetings and gatherings are held. The mural consists of three parts that attempt to convey, through artistic license, the interconnectedness of Matsigenka culture and identity, represented through their woven textile tradition and mythology. Visit our project page to learn more about the creative process and experience behind this mural project.

‍DESIGNS THAT EMANATE FROM NATURE

This section of the mural explores the connection between the Matsigenka textile designs and their correlation to the creatures (beings) they represent such as birds, insects, or reptiles. Davis Torres sought his inspiration from these designs that are infused like stories into their traditional Kushmas; tunics handwoven of native cotton and natural pigments and other woven accessories like bracelets and “Tsagi” bags.

These designs, like cultural codes, are deeply rooted in ancestral memory, identity, environment and social adaptation. The complexity of trying to deconstruct such markings became a necessary challenge for Davis and the Matsigenka themselves. The resulting artwork displayed on this part of the mural is the culmination of a group effort in which various members of the community, from young to old, took part in its colorization. We thank Alicia, Virginia, Lola, Gregorio, and Patricio for their guidance on the meaning and symbolism of these designs.

‍THE STORIES ARE WOVEN

Woven by hand and memory by the Matsigenka women, the “Kushma” is a traditional tunic brought to life through a combination of geometrical motifs that identify the storytelling of each weaver. The practice of weaving and that of its designs are customarily transmitted to each individual from the women in their family lineage such as their mother, grandmother, or aunt. Between them, the knowledge of many different designs carry a language of their own, each with their distinct traits which relate them to nature, their cosmovision, their village, or as personal identifiers. Depicted here are a selection of Matsigenka designs handwoven into individual straps made by the artisan Flora Perez. These designs are represented through the artist Davis Torres’ illustrations as they appear on the final mural.

KASHIRI IS THE MOON

On the outside of the community hall is an interpretation of certain scenes from the story of "Kashiri", who in the Matsigenka cosmogony represents the moon. According to their myth, which is usually told at great length with many moving parts, Kashiri is a central character who taught the Matsigenka how to grow yuca, a root vegetable also known as cassava.

It is said that Kashiri, in the form of a young man, arrived at a small house in a village where he discovered and fell in love with a young Matsigenka woman during her ritual menarche. He had noticed that she ate clay, so he offered her yuca as a gift, which satiated her to the point that it was all she desired to eat. In short, he would then teach her how to plant it to feed her family. This story explains the cultural and economic importance of cassava to the Matsigenka and is an example of how they intertwine their agricultural knowledge with the narrative of their gods and ancestors.

Artist Davis remarks, “Some of the people in the community know about this myth; the men seem to have more knowledge of it than the women, yet it’s mostly the elders who really know it. This story has different versions. What I tried to highlight in the mural was the importance of the yuca and the masato (a fermented drink made of yuca and corn) which for them is an essential food for their life as it was their first food source after clay. I’ve also tried to integrate (in part) the story of the kushma. In ancient times, people also did not know about yuca. They would eat a special clay that they dug out of the ground and would prepare a type of mazamorra porridge from it which they called ‘sekatsi’.” We are grateful to David, Alicia, and Patricio for sharing with us their knowledge about this complex myth. 

‍KENKITSARINTSI MATSIGENKA YATSIKAKERIRA MARANKE

the tale of a man who was bitten by a snake

This video is a visual adaptation of an ancestral Matsigenka tale as told by David Ríos Rivera of the Shipetiari Indigenous Community.

Video edition: Melanie Dizon

Photography: Davis Torres, Melanie Dizon

Animation: Amador Zeta 

Translation: Melanie Dizon, Boris Semperi Cabrera

This is an ancestral story told to us by David Ríos Rivera who learned it from his father when he was a young boy in 1973. The illustration that artist Davis Torres developed for this final exterior wall explores the ancestral tale about a “seripigari” or shaman who ventures into the forest after having dreamt a vision from which he does not take heed and therefore encounters a “maranke” or snake on his path and gets bitten. At every attempt the seripigari makes to escape from the maranke; who then also converts itself into a human, he would confront various creatures preying on his flesh. To them, the seripigari appears to be a “kemari” (tapir), not a human. In the Matsigenka world, the distinction between human and animal is ambiguous, signalling towards the deep reservoir in which humans, animal beings, nature and spirits converge. 

The mural is illustrated in sequence to the story as it was told to us by David Rios Rivera. Inside the body of the snake are conveyed six different scenes that unite the various characters and plots. Our deepest thanks to David Ríos Rivera for sharing this story with us and we hope that this tale will continue to live on. Visit our project page to read more about this mural and the creative process behind it.

The first segment shows the connection of the seripigari with his wife who, with great concern, asks him to take heed before he ventures out into the forest.

This is then followed by the presence of the monkey who calls out to the seripigari; who is depicted as both human and tapir, to not step on the snake below him. But it was too late by the time he could react and so the snake renders his bite to the seripigari.

From here, the chase begins with the snake calling out to the other animals of the forest such as the spider, the scorpion, and even more snakes, who then too convert themselves into humans in pursuit of the seripigari, who to them now appears as a “kemari” or tapir. 

The pursuit continues as the animals are still unable to capture the tapir as he runs away trailing blood from the snake bite. 

The fifth scene shows the meeting of the seripigari with the visionary plant ‘toe’ which aids him to see through his predators; the humans (once animals). The plant renders him a special chant which eventually converts them back to their animal selves causing them to return to their forest dwellings.

The mural finishes with a depiction of the unison between the animal beings, nature, and humans to which they are eternally bound. 

A special thank you goes out to Patricio Zanabria of séPeru for illuminating our minds and hearts to the Matsigenka way, and to the indelible work of artist and colleague Davis Torres for having led this project of visual storytelling. We are grateful to the Shipetiari Indigenous community for all the learnings, trust, and creative exchange over the years for which we will forever be students. Thank you to all the volunteers both in and outside the community for their time and support with this project.

We'd also like to acknowledge our long-time supporter Antigua Casona Hotel (Cusco, Peru) for contributing to our sustained work with Indigenous communities.

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