Bo’sa Ancestral

This photo, titled “Bo´sa Ancestral” (Achiote), gives its name to a gallery of portraits intervened with the natural dye of this plant, where traditional symbols are drawn along with their meanings. Its purpose is to preserve the knowledge of my ancestors and strengthen our identity.

The bo´sa (achiote) has been used for millennia by the Siona nation and other cultures for facial painting, an expression of cultural identity. However, fewer and fewer young people know the meaning of these symbols. In ancient times, facial painting was applied on various occasions: for drinking yaje (an ancestral medicine that induces visions), fishing, harvesting in the chacra, getting married, celebrating festivals, hunting, and, above all, for war, where the spear design was the predominant symbol. Today, these markings are mainly used in events or important ceremonies.

For Siona men and women, facial painting is a way to adorn the face and body with sacred symbols. In ancestral times, each shaman had their own designs, exclusive to their authority. Known as yaje drinkers, they possessed knowledge of the spiritual world and, through their visions, discovered and transmitted the symbols that today are part of our heritage.

This portrait was printed on 30×40 cm cold press paper, hand-painted with bo´sa using a fine stick, and later scanned.