Urucum triptych

This dreamlike triptych is a tribute to Bixa Orellana, known as Urucum, a radiant red fruit used by Indigenous peoples for body paint, food, art, and ritual. More than a natural dye, Urucum is a plant of protection, expression, and ancestral power.

Each panel of the triptych features the subtle presence of an Indigenous leader: Sônia Guajajara, Brazil’s first Minister of Indigenous Peoples and a lifelong advocate for environmental and human rights; Davi Kopenawa, a shaman and spokesperson of the Yanomami people, known for his deep connection to the forest and tireless activism; and Célia Xakriabá, a powerful voice from the Xakriabá people and a federal deputy defending Indigenous rights and ecological justice.

Their faces emerge softly in the background, not as portraits, but as guiding spirits, protectors, and teachers.

The piece is layered with textures, gentle hues, and sacred graphic patterns. These motifs evoke the plant’s use in rituals of protection, and its symbolic link to identity, resistance, and the wisdom of living in harmony with nature.