Drawing from the rich ecological heritage of the Colombian Amazon, Abel Rodríguez works primarily through intricate botanical drawings that preserve and transmit the traditional knowledge of his Nonuya community. His artistic practice arises from an intimate, lived connection with the rainforest, capturing its seasonal rhythms, diverse species, and the intricate relationships binding all forms of life. Often relying on memory—especially following his displacement from ancestral territories—Rodríguez blends meticulous observation with cultural cosmology, creating works that serve as both detailed scientific documentation and expressions of spiritual reverence for the forest. In his compositions, Rodríguez organizes the rainforest into detailed, immersive tableaux, where every species, from towering trees to small medicinal plants, plays a role in the ecosystem’s balance. His use of delicate line work, subtle color, and encyclopedic attention to detail transforms each drawing into a repository of endangered knowledge. By mapping the forest’s life from recollection, he turns absence into an act of resilience, preserving its image and meaning for future generations. Rodríguez’s work is rooted in Indigenous heritage and environmental stewardship, offering a vision of the Amazon that is inseparable from cultural identity. Through his art, he safeguards the memory of a land that continues to live vividly in his mind, even in physical exile. ...
