The Museo de Arte de Lima announced on Apr. 24 the opening of “Nokon kenera jatibian biribirishamanai – My Kené Shines to the World,” the first solo exhibition of Shipibo Konibo artist and activist Olinda Silvano Inuma. The exhibition highlights Silvano’s artistic journey and her contributions to both local and international art scenes.
This event is significant as it underscores the importance of indigenous languages and visual traditions in contemporary art, while also reflecting on issues such as cultural identity, discrimination, and resilience. The show emphasizes how kené—traditional geometric patterns—serves as a medium for memory and expression within Shipibo Konibo culture.
Silvano’s creative process began with ventures in fashion and textile art alongside designer Anabel de la Cruz in 2011. Her meeting with curator César Ramos Aldana marked a turning point, introducing her to academic artistic circles at Escuela Nacional Superior Autónoma de Bellas Artes. Collaborations with various artists followed, enriching her visual language through diverse perspectives. Later, working with anthropologist Alejandra Ballón led Silvano into mural painting in 2015, resulting in the formation of the Soi Noma Collective of muralist painters—a movement that has brought Shipibo Konibo muralism to international attention.
In recent years, Silvano has worked closely with her son Ronin Koshi to produce pieces characterized by vibrant geometric designs using new materials such as gold and silver leaf. This evolution was influenced by participation in Río Corrientes, an art laboratory directed by Christian Bendayán where she explored new formats like screen printing.
Silvano’s experience mirrors that of many Shipibo Konibo women who have faced invisibility and discrimination while working as street vendors in Lima. Her work now serves not only as a celebration of enduring visual traditions but also calls for recognition of ancestral knowledge systems: “Although the work of Olinda Silvano – or Reshin Jabe… celebrates the endurance of a millenarian visuality… it calls upon us to also defend the right to know and learn about these ancestral ontologies…and to achieve for all forms of life, a dignified existence.”
The Museo de Arte de Lima enhances community wellbeing by offering accessible exhibitions that promote appreciation for Peru’s cultural identity according to its official website. It preserves Peruvian art from ancient times through modern eras while advancing public engagement through programs since its establishment in 1961 according to its official website. The museum operates from Palacio de la Exposición according to its official website under management by Patronato de las Artes—a private non-profit overseen by prominent business leaders and intellectuals according to its official website. Serving audiences across Peru but focusing primarily on Lima residents according to its official website, MALI continues efforts toward preserving national heritage.
