Amazonian artists creating a new style of art, reviving traditional culture and inspired by traditional teachings, have banded together in the Peruvian group ONANYATI (which means "the wisdom of elders" in the local Shipibo language). This artistic and cultural project is dedicated to the preservation of the Amazonian rainforest and the culture of indigineous Indian peoples through art. The artists of ONANYATI find their sources of insipiration in their mythology, traditions spiritual and secular, as well as in the increasing threatened biodiversity of the their rainforest.

Through this colorful and emotionally charged exhibit, ONANYATI hopes to not only to introduce their astonishing though largely unknown native culture to the general public, but also to inform the this same public about the econonic and ecological threats to their ancestral forests.

"The art of the sacred visionary"

Far beyond simple "native art", the artists of ONANYATI give form and color to traditional legends and spiritual visions involving contact with the Spirits of Nature. These chamanistic works flow out of a tradition as old as humanity, reinvigorating these much maligned traditional spiritual practices, snatched from near oblivion. Here at the border between animism and a living sacred mythology, this atypical art follows a new path through the magic of artistic creation.

Trances, deep meditation, initiatic rites and ritual foodstuffs have brought mankind, in every civilisation and epoch, into internal worlds inhabitant by forces, good or malific, the realm of gods and demons. Following in the footsteps of mystics, artists of always and everywhere -- on pyramid wall, on cathedral stone, in temple carvings, in paintings, weavings, sculptures -- have tried to reproduce this mystic world, using symbolic representations to reveal the teachings of the gods.

The teaching plants of Amazonia have revealed to initiates the fabulous landscapes and forest of the inner world. These submerged worlds, full of wisdom and madness, speak to us of ourselves, of our own joys and fears, of shadow and light from the dawn of humanity, still living in ancestral memories.

Evil sorcerors and healing sages, men searching their own meaning discover virgin territories to explore, a gift of the inward looking soul made external through the talent of contemporary creators from the Peruvian Amazonia. These colorful statues resulting from this visonary art serves the same purpose as cathedral sculptures (which themselves were once colorfully painted) giving a visible, symbol-laden access to the Sacred.

A 100% fair-trade project, ONANYATI provides financial resources to the Amazonian peoples so that they can protect their natural habitat while producing renewable rewards from the rainforest.

These artists, committed to the survival of their green temple as well as to their own, offer 40% of their income to local reforesting and tree farming projects and an additional 20% to the promotion of living Sacred Art. They retain the remaining 40% as their fair trade subsistance.

The ONANYATI project, founded and financed by our association, under the direction of the Amazonian painter-chaman Jhefferson Saldaña Valera, is at a turning point.

Organizing exhibitions, and moving sculptures to and from, has become a full time job and we have to find a way to finance this activity. In order to leave a maximum revenue to the original Amazon artists and for our reforestation

activities, we have decide to generate new revenue from new activities. Three young painters have decided to produce small paintings from original photos. These paintings will be produced on hand made paper produced by our friend Titi (http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2036513&id=1190991688&ref=share). Each sheet (around 30x20) made from fibers coming from banana trees, pineapple trees, and sacred vines for aficionados (:°) will be sold for around 50 €uros each.

Three exhibition themes are being prepared: "Sands of Peru", "Waters of Vilcabamba" and "Spirits of Place, Spirits of Gods"; other paintings will also be available at the exhibitions: plants, portraits. Smaller sized sculptures will also be exhibited for these mobile shows (I am going to buy a small truck for their transport).

The sculptures cover two themes: "Mythology of the Amazonian peoples" (large sculptures) and "Water Women" (smaller series of sculptures in preparation).

To organize these exhibits, we solicit the help of all those who would like to bring these arts of the Amazon closer to home.

You can become one of our "ambassadors of the Amazon" to your mayor, to a museum, or to any exhibition space. All you need do is to print a few pages from Facebook or the association's website

http://sites.google.com/site/artsacrevisionaire/expo (I can also send you the documents by email) and to make an appointment with the head of cultural services. As an ambassador, ask first for a free exhibit space. (note: include a photocopy of your identity card with any request to city hall; mayors like to please their voters). This way, even if we are providing the material for the expo, you are the organizer!

We will ask for a subvention corresponding to 1 euros per kilometer starting from Etrechy (France) or Pucallpa (Peru) to any point, anywhere in the world.

We require that the exhibition sites be indoor and heated and that a protection be assured for the artwork exposed.

We also request a place to park the truck, with running water for washing (we can sleep in the truck). For larger exhibits, our colleague and friend Stephane Mir, a professional in event organisation, can establish an official estimate.

ART GALLERIES: As an example, the art gallery "Atelier Porte Soleil" run by our friend Pascal in Paris (http://www.atelierportesoleil.com/ next show the beginning of June 2010) asks only for 10% of sale proceeds for expenses. We realize that few galleries can offer such generous conditions, and sale prices are adjusted according to negotiated percentages.

CONFERENCES :

We offer two type of conferences: "spiritual" conferences for sites or organisations open to such discourse, and "lay" conferences concerning the more cultural aspect of the association's work and shamanism in general. All financial results of the lay conferences (whether from free donations or entry fees) go towards Reforestation efforts supported by our association. For the "spiritual" conferences, according to the principle that all that is spiritual should be freely dispersed, the speakers receive no remunerations, though donations might be requested to cover the cost of the conference space if it is not donated.

FILM :

We also provide film presentations, requiring a projector and screen.