Pacahuara

This illustration is based on Bose Yacu, one of the last known Pacahuara women. Creating her portrait felt like holding a fragile thread of history. One that could so easily vanish if left undocumented. The Pacahuara are an Indigenous people of the Bolivian Amazon who have lived under the weight of erasure, displacement, and silence. Bose Yacu’s presence, however, resists that silence.

In painting her, I thought about what it means to be remembered through image. How can a drawing carry memory, dignity, and survival? The colors and flowers surrounding her are not simply decoration. They are a reminder that she belongs to a living landscape, to a history tied to the forest, rivers, and stories that predate colonial boundaries.

For me, this piece was not just about representation, but about responsibility. Bose Yacu is not a symbol; she is a person, and the Pacahuara are a people whose lives deserve to be known beyond footnotes and census reports. My work asks: what is our role in ensuring their legacy does not fade?