Nonuya Worldview and Postcolonial Image in Colombian Art: a Look at the Work of Abel Rodríguez

Abstract

This text seeks to analyze the work of Abel Rodríguez, a native member of the Nonuya community who has contributed through his paintings and drawings to the understanding of social and ecological systems in the Colombian Amazon region. His work has begun to be recognized by the institutions of contemporary art via national and international exhibitions. This contribution addresses the relation-ship between the Nonuyas’ world view and Abel Rodríguez’s form of participation in contemporary art. Selected native tales are examined and the relationship between image and narration is analyzed. His work is considered from a cultural studies approach, in the light of so-called “post-colonialism” and art institutionalism, in the understanding that the emergence of “minor” discourses, as is the case here, generates new discussions in contemporary art theory.