Blood and Tradition: Portraits of the Shipibo and Konibo People through the Lens of David Diaz Gonzalez

The Embassy of Peru in Poland and the Cervantes Institute in Warsaw invited guests to the opening of an exhibition of photographs by David Diaz Gonzalez entitled. “Shipibo-Konibo. Portraits of My Blood” on March 12^th.

This unique art event took viewers on a journey into the heart of the Amazon jungle, revealing not only the beauty and strength of indigenous traditions but also the author’s deep connection to these communities. The exhibition focuses on two ethnic groups, the Shipibo and Konibo, who live in areas of Peru and Brazil.

The author of the exhibition “Shipibo-Konibo. Portraits of My Blood” chose to photograph the people of his village, he said in an online interview at the opening, because he is deeply connected to his cultural and ethnic identity. He was born into the Shipibo-Konibo community, one of the peoples of the Peruvian Amazon. The choice of people to photograph was not random – they are part of his own history and heritage. Gonzalez’s photographs are a testament to the intimacy, history and spirituality of these people, whose portraits are captured in an extraordinary way, full of respect, empathy and artistic sensitivity.

The photographs in the exhibition are not only documentation, but also a story of identity and survival in the face of modern challenges. “Portraits of My Blood” is a title that symbolises the artist’s deep connection with the people he portrays, their culture and the traditions that have shaped his life. This gives the photographs a personal dimension in which each person becomes not only the protagonist of the image, but also a bearer of history and memory.

Through his photographs, Gonzalez seeks to capture the beauty and strength of his culture, to draw attention to the importance of preserving traditions in the face of modern challenges, and to express his personal experiences and relationships with the people of his village. The title of the exhibition, “Portraits of My Blood”, underlines the strength of his bond with the people he portrays – these are not just photographs, but personal testimonies to his identity, his roots and his relationship with the community around him.

The opening of the exhibition is an excellent opportunity to reflect on the clash of two worlds – the traditional and the modern – and the role of art in building bridges between different cultures. David Diaz Gonzalez’s works are an extremely valuable testimony and tribute to the rich heritage of the Amazonian peoples.