Shipibo-Conibo: Retratos de mi sangre

We've been admiring David Díaz Gonzáles' photographs for some time now, and we're glad to have shared a seat with him at a recent journalists' gathering. David is a Peruvian freelance photographer who’s part of the Shipibo-Konibo indigenous community, who uses photography as a means of preserving memories for his people. David's debut, which featured images of his people, began its international tour this year and was displayed in the framework of the IX International Congress of the Spanish Language, which took place in the city of Cadiz, Spain. We are happy to share some of the extraordinary photographs that are currently touring different exhibition rooms in Spain, Germany, and France.

*A Shipibo-Konibo Family reunion. A woman in mourning having her bangs cut while other women are painting their lips. This is an old tradition that some Shipibo families still do today.*

David currently lives in Pucallpa, but he was born in the indigenous town of Nuevo Saposoa, which is located in the Peruvian jungle of the Coronel Portillo province in the Ucayali region. This area is only accessible via a five-hour river journey from the Peruvian city of Pucallpa. In this corner of the Peruvian jungle, nature influences everyday life; it is the dominant force. The trees and bushes provide food and medicine, the land is good for growing crops like yucca and corn for daily use, and the river provides a wide range of tropical fish.

Decades ago, a strong migration from the Shipibo-Konibo communities began towards the city of Pucallpa in Ucayali, forming communities in the district of Yarinacocha, occupied by families who maintained ties with their place of origin and attempting to preserve their culture. According to the Ministry of Culture, there are 32,964 Shipibo-Konibo; this is one of the largest indigenous communities in Peru. Although some of their traditions have been lost or altered over time, others remain intact and have adapted. Those who live in neighborhoods rather than communities maintain their customs despite their distance from their ancestors.

*A Shipibo-Conibo woman working on a kushma.*

This is the case of David — whose Shipibo-Konibo name is Isa Rono — which means 'little bird' and snake,' a name given to him by his paternal grandfather. He has spent four years photographing his relatives and neighbors in Yarinacocha as a gesture of remembrance and resilience. His images evoke nostalgia and represent a journey through memory, homage, and observation. In this visual reflection, he reveals how ancestral customs have vanished since the arrival of the Jesuits and Christianity, and how individuals who have been isolated from their communities now live on the outer edges of human settlements. “Those who live in neighborhoods rather than communities maintain their traditions despite their distance from their ancestors. They still keep those customs that have survived atrocious times," says David.

A haircut, for example, was once both a farewell and a protective weapon. When a man died, the widow would cut all her hair to express her grief and to protect the family from further tragedy or death. It was not only a haircut, but also a ceremony attended by the widow's and dead man's families. As a child, David observed his family's women cutting their hair to say goodbye to those they loved the most.

*Women dressed in Shipibo-Konibo traditional garments: the koton (blouse) and the chitonti (skirt).*

The koton, or blouse, and the chitonti, or skirt, are worn by women. The elaborate kené, a design system based on the snake of Shipibo-Konibo creation history is embroidered or painted on both the chitonti and the kushma, embodying forms of ancestral knowledge through their creation. This design system, developed by women, was recognized as an important cultural asset in 2008 and is now used to decorate everything from clothing and other textiles to ceramics, ornaments, weapons, and shaman's crowns, that reflect their spiritual beliefs, wisdom, and community knowledge in relation to the natural world, the forest, plants, animals, and waters.

*Kené is considered a ritual knowledge associated with designs and the techniques used for placing them on a body as well as their links to animals and plants.*

The Shipibo-Conibo women, according to David, were drawn to his work because they could relate to it. While photographing them, he had the impression that this documentation made them feel more like themselves and part of a strong community. During this photographic journey, the photographer also turned to key and wise characters such as Shipibo-Konibo teacher Eli Sánchez Rodríguez, who has helped to systematize and disseminate this indigenous people's knowledge and cosmovision.

He also met shamans, including the renowned Ruperto Fasabi, master of tobacco, who is respected by the Shipibo-Konibo and serves as a sort of intermediary between worlds, knowing not only about traditions but also about all the entities that inhabit the universe. David Díaz González's work holds a value that extends beyond the mere documentation of the interconnection between the Shipibo-Konibo community and their environment. He holds the belief that his work will serve as a source of inspiration and motivation for his people, while also providing a means to better understand the intricate nature of the world surrounding him.

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Shipibo-Konibo: Retratos de mi sangre