Somos raíces is the first exhibition dedicated exclusively to Santiago Yahuarcani and Nereyda López outside of Peru and presents a collection of almost seventy works ranging from their early 2000s works, never before seen outside their native country, to creations made specifically for this exhibition.

The project champions harmony between humans, non-humans, and nature. Through their paintings and sculptures, the artists reinterpret the spiritual world of their ancestors and recount centuries of extractivism and violence that still profoundly affect Indigenous communities in the Amazon.

The exhibition will be open from June 13 to September 14, 2025, in the Picasso Room. It includes a program of public activities during this week, in which the artists and curators will offer various guided tours of the exhibition and a workshop for families.

12 June, 2025. The Círculo de Bellas Artes Casa Europa presents We are rootsThe first exhibition dedicated exclusively to Santiago Yahuarcani and Nereyda López outside of Peru. Through a significant collection of works—from early pieces from the early 2000s, exhibited for the first time outside their native country, to creations made specifically for this show—the project proposes a journey through indigenous cosmogonies based on orality, song, vision, and community resistance.

The exhibition, curated by Isabella Lenzi and Rember Yahuarcani, explores the world of Santiago Yahuarcani, a painter and sculptor from the White Heron clan of the Uitoto nation, and his partner Nereyda López, a sculptor of Tikuna and Cocama descent. Both self-taught artists live in the district of Pebas, on the banks of the Ampiyacú River in the Peruvian Amazon. At a historical moment of ecological, social, and political crisis, the exhibition affirms a vision of art as a tool for resistance, connection, and reimagining of the world.

The exhibition, which opens on June 12 at 19 p.m., will be on display from June 13 to September 14, 2025 in the Picasso Room.el Círculo de Bellas Artes Casa EuropaThe project includes a program of public activities this week, in which the artists will offer different guided tours of the exhibition and an intergenerational workshop for families.

Somos Raíces (We Are Roots) celebrates harmony between humans, non-humans, and nature through the paintings and sculptures of its creators, who reinterpret the myths and spiritual world of their ancestors, bringing them into the present. At the same time, they recount centuries of extractivism and violence that still profoundly affect the Indigenous peoples of the Amazon region, marked by the rubber boom genocide. Their creations challenge colonial narratives, seeking to open a space for the recognition and visibility of Indigenous culture and voices.

Santiago Yahuarcani and Nereyda López are two of the most important figures in contemporary art, whose work engages with urgent debates on memory, ecology, and decoloniality. Santiago participated in the last edition of the Venice Biennale (2024) and, along with Nereyda, was present at the Toronto Biennale (2024) and the Mercosur Biennial (2025). Santiago primarily paints with natural dyes on llanchama , a plant-based fabric obtained from the bark of the renaco tree, an endemic plant of the region. Nereyda, for her part, constructs her sculptures and masks with seeds, roots, and fibers, patiently and respectfully gathered from her surroundings.

From their home studio, they have woven a way of life in which art intertwines with farming, daily care, dreams, and the transmission of ancestral knowledge. In their family, creation doesn't follow an individual logic, but a collective one, and until very recently, it didn't imply the need to claim authorship. It arises from shared work, respect for inherited knowledge, and the commitment to pass it on to those who come after. Each work is born from the exchange between generations, from the youngest to the oldest, in a process where art is living memory, a community bond, and a daily act of resistance.

We are roots It invites us to reflect on other forms of knowledge and life in society, on the disobedience and irreverence of artistic creation in the face of violence and silencing. It reclaims myth and memory as living forces that help us confront the challenges of the present. The exhibition is part of the extensive program of activities that el Círculo de Bellas Artes This season is dedicated to the climate emergency. It is supported by the Biodiversity Foundation of the Ministry for Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge, the Embassy of Peru in Spain, the Pizarro Charitable Foundation, the White Heron Clan Aimenɨ, and Crisis Galería.        

Visits with the artists

The exhibition project includes a program of activities in which the artists will offer different guided tours of the exhibition and an intergenerational workshop for family audiences.

Walking the Myth is a guided tour with the artists and curators of the exhibition, where we will trace a special path through " We Are Roots ." This is a unique opportunity to learn firsthand about the stories, materials, and processes that shape the works on display, and it will take place on June 13th and 14th at 18:30 pm.

On the other hand, and geared towards families, the activity " The Parents of Colors: Uitoto Stories and Family Creation" will take place. This intimate and playful gathering will be held on June 14th (12:00 pm) where the artists will share some of the myths of the Uitoto-Aimeni nation present in many of the works in the exhibition. While listening to the stories, children will be able to draw and paint, inspired by the tales and the artworks.

Participation in the activities is free with admission to the exhibition. To access the exhibition, you will need to purchase a ticket (check prices and buy online or at the box office on the day).