Rita Huni Kuin defies visible and invisible boundaries through her art
Rita Huni Kuin defines herself as someone who did not choose, but rather was born within art. For the self-taught visual artist, activist, mother and indigenous leader of the Chico Curumim village (AC), the Huni Kuin Also known as Kaxinawá, this indigenous people inhabit the Amazon Rainforest from eastern Peru, at the foot of the Andes, to the border with Brazil, in Acre and southern Amazonas. culture is, in itself, art. Crafts, painting, dancing and singing have been part of her daily life since she was born.
For the Huni Kuin, the graphics, the multiplicity of colors and the geometric shapes symbolize the existential unity between the material and spiritual world, in which the ayahuasca rituals, or nixi pae Nixi pae is the ceremonial drink produced from ayahuasca (or, in Portuguese, cipó bravo), a plant that is also known as hoasca, daime, santo daime or iagê., allow one to visualize the spirits of the forest, the entities of the universe and of the ancestors.
The artist deals with this universe in her own way. Her work reflects the way she approaches, crosses and challenges the boundaries that life presents to her, be they spiritual, symbolic, cultural, material or territorial, visible or invisible.
She emphasizes that the Huni Kuin see their territory as a place in which human divisions – such as political, territorial borders or those existing between indigenous and non-indigenous people – are not important in the face of the immensity and interconnection of the natural and spiritual universe.
In Rita’s paintings, the language of the spirit of the Huni Kuin people translates into color
Rita says that the ayahuasca chants are very difficult to put into words, even for members of the ethnic group. Based on the idea of translating them into paintings, her father, Isaías Sales (Ibã), created the acclaimed collective MAHKU – Huni Kuin Artists Movement, which she is a part of today.
A striking feature of MAHKU art is the representation of elements of nature, Huni Kuin culture and the world of spirituality achieved in nixi pae rituals, by means of the heavy use of vibrant colors which, according to Rita, “are, in themselves, a form of translation”.
The leading role of women in the Huni Kuin culture is rescued in Rita’s works
Her critical view of the limits imposed on women also stands out in her career. Rita says that she began her career as a painter in 2009, when her father created the MAHKU. Initially, neither she nor her sister Yaká Huni Kuin were included in the collective, as it was restricted to men. However, inspired and provoked by the work of their father and the movement, they developed their own language, with strong feminine traits and unique views of the Huni Kuin spirituality. Over time, the strength of their art paved the way for them.
Rita remembers the turning point that led her to join the MAHKU. When asked to support an exhibition in Manaus, she proposed something new to the curator: in addition to the paintings, the exhibition should feature ayahuasca chants and history. The idea surprised and impressed her father, who began to acknowledge her contribution to the appreciation of the ethnic group’s culture and allowed her to join the collective.
“I want people to see that the world of art can be far more preserved with women at the forefront” – Rita Huni Kuin
For the artist, such “machismo” is not a cultural trait of her people. This is a legacy of colonization, of coexistence with the non-indigenous society. “Today, we are fighting to reclaim our ancient matriarchal tradition,” she says.
An example of this tradition is the legend that tells how the ayahuasca came into being, which was allegedly given to the Huni Kuin people by the boa-snake woman. “It was she who enchanted Indigenous hunter Yube Inu. He tasted the ayahuasca, had visions and, after his passing, he turned into the plant itself. Ayahuasca came from the boa-snake people,” explains Rita.
Thus, her artistic production naturally highlights female figures that represent ancestral forces in the Huni Kuin culture. The canvas below, for instance, shows a representation of the enchanted boa-snake woman, Yube Shanu. When speaking of her work, Rita says that “the first song we sing when we take ayahuasca is ‘Yube Nawa Ainbu’ (enchanted boa-snake woman). It is a way of evoking strength”:
The painting below shows Muká, also called Mukani, a figure linked to the plant of the same name, considered the most powerful in the Huni Kuin culture. The Muká woman is a symbol of transformation and spiritual healing. Rita explains that the painting incorporates three main elements: the woman, the boa snake and the spider. Represented by its webs, this animal was the one to teach the Huni Kuin women to weave. “When I make a painting inspired by the Mukani, I see it as a life transformation,” says Rita.
In turn, the following painting reveals another perspective into the boa-snake woman, now linked to the chant of the waters and to healing through them. The light it emanates represents spiritual strength. The ritual song depicted speaks of water animals that can see by day and night, a metaphor for spiritual vision. According to the artist, “this is the chant of healing that follows the path of the waters. Water is life”.
The art of Rita Huni Kuin is also a powerful manifestation of the complexity of borders in their multiple dimensions: physical, cultural, spiritual and political
Rita uses art as a means to challenge established divisions and, at the same time, reaffirm the deep union between indigenous peoples and nature, overcoming the barriers created by colonialism, modernization and national borders. Her work reflects not only on external barriers, but also on internal ones, which relate to human perceptions and connections with the world around us.
In yet another example of the way the artist explores these countless boundaries, the canvas below shows her representation of the story of the caiman that served as a bridge for the “crossing of knowledge”. It is a myth about the separation between the indigenous and non-indigenous world. The animal helps one cross the border between the two universes, represented by the river, but disappears when offered a cub of its own species to feed on (a symbol of self-destruction). According to Rita, “the caiman served as a bridge to cross knowledge. Those who crossed over, crossed over; those who stayed, stayed”:
Kayatibu, the voice of the forest, shows that there are no barriers in art
Rita’s indigenous activism also leads her to explore other artistic territories, as she believes there should be no barriers between different languages. It was based on this premise that, in 2013, she participated in the creation of cultural center and musical group Kayatibu (“healing of the spirit”), which brings together young indigenous artists and communicators from the Rio Jordão region (AC). Today, the seat of the Kayatibu is also a meeting point for elders from several Huni Kuin villages.
The above painting was created by the artist as the cover of Kayatibu’s first album, available on streaming platforms. The work shows the Sumaúma tree as a symbol of connection with the forest. For Rita, this tree relates to color, music and the strength of the forest. It represents singing, spirituality and collaboration between traditional forest musicians and city professionals.
‘I sell canvas, I buy land’ is the motto to cross the path to the future
The territorial insecurity of indigenous peoples is an objective barrier to the preservation of the Huni Kuin culture. However, for Rita, it became an opportunity to establish a link between her work and indigenous activism. As part of the MAHKU, the artist embraced the motto “I sell canvas, I buy land”, which makes art a strategy for territorial sovereignty.
Her father, Ibã, devised this proposal during the Bolsonaro administration as a reaction to the land insecurity faced by indigenous peoples at that time. The purpose is to acquire land to protect it from deforestation, as well as to keep its traditions alive. “As we sell our works, we buy land to protect. We do not do so for raising cattle, but for planting, reforesting, sheltering. This is thinking about the future, our grandchildren, great-grandchildren,” she explains.
The consolidation of her artistic career has led her to achieve this goal. Among Rita’s achievements are participation in exhibitions throughout Brazil and abroad. Today, her art reaches new territories and builds connections with countless other peoples. In 2024, in addition to being nominated for the Pipa Award, she participated in annual tours around Europe together with other artists, mainly in Germany and the United Kingdom.
“I want to build a house of art where we can experience healing, creation and exchange.” A border, for me, is an exchange of wisdom – a positive crossing” – Rita Huni Kuin
Today, the artist dreams of building a “house of art” to welcome indigenous and non-indigenous artists in residencies, strengthening interchanges, exchanges and spirituality, taking charge of her destiny as a “border crosser”.
When asked what she wants her paintings to awaken in people, she answers without hesitation: “I want them to feel, in their hearts, a little piece of the forest. And even when they do not understand what they see, they can still connect with the soul of that painting”.
