'Spirit of the Rainforest' With the Yawanawá Tribe
of the Amazon Rainforest

'Spirit of the Rainforest 2' paintings by John Dyer and Nixiwaka Yawanawá

Awavana - Painting by John Dyer. 24 x 24 inches acrylic on canvas.

"The power and beauty of water combined with the energy and spirituality of the tribe has inspired my painting. Spiritual butterflies fly across the rainforest which is painted with energetic brush marks and colours. The river is the source of life for the Yawanawá and this painting is a celebration of their deep connection to the rainforest."

John Dyer

Awavana - Painting by Nixiwaka Yawanawá. 24 x 24 inches acrylic on canvas.

"Awavana means butterfly and my painting depicts the very spiritual shamanic pot in the centre of my painting. Energy radiates from the pot and is symbolised by the spiritual butterflies. Beneath the pot is water and our special medicine pant 'Uni' which is used for our ayahuasca ceremonies. "

Nixiwaka Yawanawá

The Sky Snake Ashuinka and Ground Snake Runua - Painting by John Dyer. 24 x 24 inches acrylic on canvas.

"I painted this painting surrounded by the Yawanawá's most spiritual plants in a sacred part of their rainforest. The painting depicts a shamanic pot with a spiritual butterfly emerging. On the ground is Runua the ground snake and in the canopy we can see the sky snake Ashuinka. As I painted the tribe fished in the river and also swept the rainforest to clean it and to show respect. It is forbidden to touch the scared plants and if you do snakes appear in the tribal village."

John Dyer

The Sky Snake Ashuinka and Ground Snake Runua - Painting by Nixiwaka Yawanawá. 24 x 24 inches acrylic on canvas.

"This is a very powerful painting that depicts how we work with the power of the ground and sky snake in our shamanic ceremonies. In the centre of my painting is a shamanic pot with the ayahuasca plant radiating energy. The snake is very spiritual and we work with the ground snake but we know there is also a sky snake, Ashuinka. If the sky snake sees you in the forest it will take you."

Nixiwaka Yawanawá

The Healing Shaman - Painting by John Dyer. 24 x 24 inches acrylic on canvas.

"Painted in one of the oldest parts of the Yawanawá's rainforest my painting depicts a special ceremony in which a shaman prays into a shamanic healing pot to help to heal an ill member of the tribe. The shamanic pot is shown by the negative space the snake creates in the centre of my painting. On the far side of the river we see the shaman standing over the poorly person. as i painted toucans called from the canopy, butterflies flew past and ants crawled on just about everything!"

John Dyer

The Healing Shaman - Painting by Nixiwaka Yawanawá. 24 x 24 inches acrylic on canvas.

"My painting shows a shamanic prayer for a ill member of the tribe. The shaman prays into a shamanic pot. There are two pots shown in my painting and our sacred animal, the snake appears from one pot and then the other. All the energy is forming while the shaman prays and this energy heals the ill person."

Nixiwaka Yawanawá

Tribal Ceremony. Painting by John Dyer. 24 x 24 inches acrylic on canvas.

"The Yawanawá have regular ceremonies where they connect to their spirits of the rainforest. This painting is of the ceremony that I attended during my time with the tribe. A fire burns outside the 'shuhu' house and the shaman prepares their spiritual medicine which allows the tribe to visit the spirits. Glowing embers of the fire are placed carefully in piles where people are sitting. Members of the tribe line up to receive the medicine from the shaman and then sit quietly whilst other members of the tribe sing songs. The evening is long lasting until 3am with lots of dancing, music and singing. Sparks fly up into the sky and bats fly across the stars."

John Dyer

Rainforest Tree House. Painting by John Dyer. 24 x 24 inches acrylic on canvas.

"Painted from an extraordinary rainforest treehouse in the Yawanawá village of Mutum. My painting depicts the magical moment a family of black faced monkeys descended from the canopy to meet Robin Hanbury-Tenison who can be seen relaxing in his hammock. Robin grew up in a tree house and was in absolute heaven in the rainforest of the Yawanawá. Butterflies, toucans, chickens and members of the tribe watch as the monkeys' go to great the great explorer."

John Dyer

The Healing Shaman. Procreate digital iPad painting by John Dyer.

"This Procreate painting focuses on one of the most important themes of this series. The image depicts the 'Healing Shaman' who adds good spirits, prayers and plant medicines to the shamanic pot. This invokes the power of the sky snake (boa constrictor) and the snake of the earth (anaconda snake) to help to heal a poorly member of the tribe. Spiritual butterflies carry the energy up into the canopy and connect the energy from shaman and rainforest. My Procreate painting was created in a very special part of the Yawanawá rainforest where the medicine plants grow. These plants must not be touched and the tribe regularly sweep and rake this part of the rainforest to respect and clean it."

John Dyer

River of Life, Rio Gregorió. Procreate digital iPad painting by John Dyer.

"The Rio Gregorió is the tributary of the Amazon river that the Yawanawá live on. The river starts in Peru and provides not only the only way in and out of the tribe but a place to wash, fish, hunt and a source of water and spirituality. It is the life source of the tribe and absolutely beautiful. I made this Procreate drawing of the river reflecting the sky and ground snake imagery and a narrative of tribal life on the water."

John Dyer

Yuxi Yuve. Procreate digital iPad painting by John Dyer.

"Yuxi Yuve is one of the Yawanawá's rainforest spirits. She appears to them as a beautiful woman with long flowing hair, down which water cascades, forging a link connecting the Spirit with all the rivers and the entire water cycle of the rainforest. Yuxi Yuve is a very powerful spirit who looks after all the living things. She appears in visions to the Yawanawa when they have a ceremony that invokes her force in order to teach them about the spiritual forces that live in the water. Yuxi Yuve connects the river to the tribe showing its importance to their life as part of nature."

John Dyer

Sacred Rainforest. Procreate digital iPad painting by John Dyer.

"This Procreate painting was done in one of the Yawanawá's most sacred parts of the rainforest. It is an old part of the forest and was rich in wildlife with toucans and parrots flying overhead and squeaking in the trees. Ants were crawling everywhere too! A group of Yawanawá artists joined me on this day quietly creating sacred drawings and designs in the rainforest."

John Dyer

Tribal Ceremony. Procreate digital iPad painting by John Dyer.

"This Procreate painting was made at night (impossible with traditional media) and shows a Yawanawá tribal ceremony I attended where the shaman prepares Ayahuasca, or Uni as the Yawanawá call it, which is a tribal medicine, that members of the tribe take during the ceremony. It is rather like communion at church and the tribe line up at a table where the shaman gives each member a cup full of the 'spiritual medicine' to drink. The tribe sing and then dance and the ceremony went on until 3am in the morning. Many members of the tribe will experience direct contact with the spirits of the rainforest during the ceremony and the first spiritual animal that appears is often the snake. I never participate but simply watch as I strongly believe that it should only be members of the tribe that take part in such sacred ceremonies. The tribe also used this ceremony to welcome me and the team to the tribe and to thank us for inspiring them with our art and music."

John Dyer

Procreate digital iPad painting by John Dyer.

Procreate digital iPad painting by John Dyer.

Procreate digital iPad painting by John Dyer.

Procreate digital iPad painting by John Dyer.

Procreate digital iPad painting by John Dyer.

Procreate digital iPad painting by John Dyer.

Procreate digital iPad painting by John Dyer.

Procreate digital iPad painting by John Dyer.

Procreate digital iPad painting by John Dyer.

Procreate digital iPad painting by John Dyer.

Be inspired by the paintings from the Yawanawá children

Lavana Yawanawá. Painted with Annatto seed paint on paper 21cm x 21cm

Yawanawá. Painted with Annatto seed paint on paper 21cm x 21cm

Daniele Yawanawá. Painted with Annatto seed paint on paper 21cm x 21cm

Jorge Yawanawá. Painted with Annatto seed paint on paper 21cm x 21cm

Joana Yawanawá. Painted with Annatto seed paint on paper 21cm x 21cm

Xikuvimt Yawanawá. Painted with Annatto seed paint on paper 21cm x 21cm

Taina Yawanawá. Painted with Annatto seed paint on paper 21cm x 21cm

'Spirit of the Rainforest' paintings by John Dyer and Nixiwaka Yawanawá from their residency at the Eden Project

Painting by John Dyer. Yuxi Yuve Amazon Rainforest Water Spirit. Painting inspired by the Yawanawá Tribe. 100 x 100 cm acrylic on canvas.

"The Water Spirit Yuxi Yuve has a real connection for me, she evokes not only the water cylcle of the rainforest but also has echoes of Mermaids, stories and Spirits in our own culture. Nixiwaka selected the Amazon plants around the waterfall at the Eden Project for us to work with so it was natural for me to create a circular composition with the waterfall forming Yuxi Yuve's hair. The Boa Constrictor features as the power of the rainforest. It is one of the most revered animals of the rainforest. I have included Amazon fish in the water and rainforest butterflies too. Many of the plant forms in the painting are painted from life using the plants at Eden as reference. My painting has a cyclical energy that echoes the natural cycle of life."

John Dyer

Nixiwaka Yawanawá Painting. Yuxi Yuve - The Water Spirit of the Amazon Rainforest. 100 x 100 cm acrylic on canvas.

"The painting depicts the Spirit of Water who lives in the depths of the great rivers of the Rainforest. Yuxi Yuve is a beautiful woman with long flowing hair, down which water cascades, forging a link connecting the Spirit with all the rivers and everything that is supported in and by the water. She is the Lady of the Waters and is a powerful spirit that looks after all the living things, plants, animals and fish that inhabit the river. She appears in visions to the Yawanawá when they have a ceremony that invokes her force in order to teach them about the spiritual forces that live in the water. She connects the world of the river to the tribe showing its importance to their life as part of nature."

Nixiwaka Yawanawá

Painting by John Dyer. Rare - Spiritual rebirth. Amazon Rainforest Spirit Painting inspired by the Yawanawá Tribe. 100 x 100 cm acrylic on canvas.

"The figure at the centre of my painting symbolises not only the spirit Vana but the Yawanawá themselves. The sacred plants feature in the painting alongside one of the most powerful animals in the rainforest, the Jaguar. The Jaguar symbolises power. The humming bird and Amazon butterflies create a biodiverse image which when combined with the amazing plant forms you find in the Amazon and at the Eden Project creates a feeling of shared energy and vitality. The Yawanawá tribe are the custodians of their piece of the Amazon and their energy and life is a natural part of the ecosystem. We all need to respect the careful balance of the rainforest and I hope through these paintings our thoughts and actions will be reborn."

John Dyer

Nixiwaka Yawanawá Painting. Rare - Spiritual rebirth. Amazon Rainforest Spirit. 100 x 100 cm acrylic on canvas.

"This painting represents the spiritual rebirth of a person who experiences the Yawanawá initiation into becoming a Shaman. The ceremony begins with the root of Rare, a sacred plant considered by the Yawanawá to be the most powerful plant of the Rainforest. It invokes the spirit Vana who is considered to be the owner of all the plants and the most powerful spirit in the Rainforest. The ceremony to become a Shaman involves the person in undertaking a diet where he abstains from specific things and focuses on his spirituality for a period that could be as long as six months, when he is alone in the Rainforest apart from being watched over by his Shaman mentor. The plants are the door to the spiritual world. The ceremony makes the connection with the spirits and the person is transformed into a spiritual being able to see visions, heal and guide the tribe as a Shaman."

Nixiwaka Yawanawá

Vana. The Spirit of our shadows. Painting inspired by the Yawanawá Tribe. Amazon Rainforest. Original Painting by John Dyer. 100 x 100 cm acrylic on canvas.

"In British culture shadows are often used as ominous devices, but the realisation that the spirit of one’s own shadow is a protector and guardian angel is enlightening. The power of the spirit is indicated by the Boa Constrictors and I have painted with intense colours and contrasts to evoke the rainforest exploding with energy and light from the shadows. My Vana spirit sits at the centre of the composition radiating energy and protection. Rainforest butterflies, macaws and spiders are used throughout the painting. The energy that lives in us is the same energy that connects all living things and this energy radiates from the canvas."

John Dyer

Nixiwaka Yawanawá Painting. Vana - The Spirit of our Shadows. Amazon Rainforest Spirit. 100 x 100 cm acrylic on canvas.

"The painting represents the very powerful Vana spirits. They are the guardian angels that protect us from bad things and as such are seen as the Spirit of our own shadow. Only the Shamans can see and talk to them in ceremonies which involve Ayahuasca, a sacred drink to the Yawanawá. The spirits guide the visions in the ceremonies so that they can find their personal Vana. My painting is the vision of my Aunt, a Shaman, which I originally drew from her description. It is therefore a unique, powerful & emotional image."

Nixiwaka Yawanawá

Painting by John Dyer. The Creation of Uni (Ayahuasca). Painting inspired by the Yawanawá Tribe. Amazon Rainforest. 100 x 100 cm acrylic on canvas.

"This painting captures so much about the Rainforest that I know and understand, but in the context of one of the most fundamental and historic stories of the Yawanawá tribe. The Shaman is buried in the rainforest and from his energy new life emerges, in the form of medicinal plants. These plants allow the tribe to reconnect to the Shaman and this story of the cycle of energy underpins the cycle of life, death and rebirth. It is in so many ways a painting of balance and I have featured the Yawanawá tribe at the centre of my painting as they rejoice in this energy that comes from the rainforest. Tribes all over the Amazon know of Ayahuasca and have a shared knowledge of this even though this knowledge is not from direct contact with each other. The knowledge comes through the spirits."

John Dyer

Nixiwaka Yawanawá Painting. Creation of Uni (Ayahuasca) Amazon Rainforest. 100 x 100 cm acrylic on canvas.

"These paintings represent how death came to the world and was overcome through the discovery of the vine called Uni by the Yawanawá, and known by tribes all over the world as Ayahuasca. At one time people were not mortal. A bad spirit cursed a Shaman who became the first person to die and he was buried. Later his son had a dream in which his father came to him to say that he was still alive but in a different form. He asked that his son should, after a period of time, visit the place where he was buried and that he would find a plant. In his dream he was instructed by his father how to make a sacred drink using the plant. When his son returned to the burial ground he discovered a vine that had grown from all the joints of the Shaman’s body. Following the instructions he mixed the leaves (Ravante) with the root of the Uni and created the sacred drink which, in ceremonies that continue today, allows the tribe to connect with their ancestors in the Spirit world."

Nixiwaka Yawanawá

Painting by John Dyer. Nawê. Painting inspired by the Yawanawá Tribe. Amazon Rainforest.100 x 100 cm acrylic on canvas.

"This painting captures a vision that Nixiwaka Yawanawá had during a tribal ceremony in the Amazon. Nixiwaka described to me how the two most powerful animals of the rainforest appeared, the Boa Constrictor and the Jaguar. These two spirit animals then merged into one animal that was the combination of both spirits. This then transformed into a tribal spirit that connected and exploded its energy to every part of the rainforest. By using a circular composition and by interconnecting the bold shapes and colours of the plants I hope I have created an energetic and vibrant rainforest image that pulls your focus towards the centre through the snake and Jaguar to the tribal ceremony that is taking place. The Amazon river flows in the background and the vine used in Ayahuasca grows throughout the painting. For me this is a very powerful image of the Spirit of the Rainforest."

John Dyer

Nixiwaka Yawanawá Painting. Nawê. Amazon Rainforest Spirits. 100 x 100 cm acrylic on canvas.

"These paintings show the combining of the powerful Boa Constrictor and Jaguar. The animals are respected by the Yawanawá for their power and danger. Their combination is undertaken by two Shamans in a sacred ritual. This connection of the Shaman with nature and the Spiritual Universe evokes all the spirits of the forest and the animals, represented by the vision of joining these two powerful animals together. The ritual combines Uni (Ayahuasca) with Nawê made from the medicinal plant Tsunu. It is a sacred ritual which makes a connection through the Shaman, that creates a healing and protecting process for the tribe, the Rainforest, the Spiritual World that exists beyond our material world."

Nixiwaka Yawanawá

Painting by John Dyer. Kênê - At one with Nature. 100 x 100 cm acrylic on canvas.

"Body painting is a fundamental part of tribal culture. The Yawanawá use Paxiti (red annatto seeds) to create the paint they use. By using natural colour from the rainforest and by painting patterns derived from nature on each other’s bodies the tribe becomes one with nature as they sing and dance in their ceremonies. It was because of body painting that the Spirit of the Rainforest Project was possible as this gave Nixiwaka a natural eye and use of line for him to translate onto canvases and for him to inform my work."

John Dyer

Nixiwaka Yawanawá Painting. Kênê - Body Painting. Amazon Rainforest Spirits 100 x 100 cm acrylic on canvas.

"The Yawanawá people use body painting represented by the Kênê. Since time immemorial, we have used Kênê to celebrate traditional feasts and ceremonies and also within our daily life. When we paint our bodies we are gracing ourselves, staying beautiful and becoming protected from disease. The spirit of the Kênê lady appears in visions during Uni (Ayahuasca) ceremonies. We receive the paintings and practise these among the people of the tribe as a way of learning through the spiritual world."

Nixiwaka Yawanawá