Shipibo-Konibo:Portraits of my People

Many elements of their traditional tribal culture and world view are still alive today, while their lifestyle is gradually being transformed. Since the 1990s, many people moved to nearby cities (Pucallpa, settlements of Yarinacocha county) due to easier living, while others looked for work in the capital, Lima. The emigrated families still maintain contact with their community of origin.

The most characteristic decoration of traditional shipibo-konibo objects is kene, a geometric, often labyrinth-like system of patterns that also stands out in many of David Díaz's photographs.

The motifs also appear on weapons, fabrics, wooden objects, ceramics and body painting and are the summaries of the Shipibo-konibo worldview, knowledge and aesthetics. According to the belief of the ancestors, the inspiration for the kéné motifs is the mythical anaconda, on whose skin you can find all the variants.

Shamans and ritual participants can see and understand these patterns by consuming a mind-altering, psychoactive brew of anaconda power plants, such as ayahuasca.

The kene patterned objects that appear in visions are no longer just for home use. Many families offer their handicrafts to tourists, and the motifs are also found on contemporary shipibo-konibo art. The area has also become an important centre of ayahuasca culture in Peru.