Santiago Yahuarcani: The Beginning of Knowledge Curator Tour

Join us for a curator tour of Santiago Yahuarcani: The Beginning of Knowledge with Hannah Vollam, Assistant Curator at the Whitworth.

Hannah will talk through some of the themes and artworks contained within the exhibition, as well as insights into the show’s development.

Working from a remote Amazonian town in northern Peru, Santiago Yahuarcani creates large-scale, narrative-rich paintings exploring the relationship between the Uitoto people and the natural world.

Using natural pigments and materials, Yahuarcani's work exists outside of Western art history – instead harnessing the memories, history, and wisdom of his ancestors, the sacred knowledge of medicinal plants, the sounds of the jungle, and Uitoto myths that explain the multiple configurations of the universe.

Especially urgent in its retelling of the colonial extraction of natural resources and the enslavement of the Uitoto people during the Peruvian rubber boom, Yahuarcani’s art can be understood as an act of education and protest, vividly illustrating the natural scenery that once was.

Building on his presentation at the 60th Venice Biennale, The Beginning of Knowledge features more than 25 paintings from 2010 to the present, including new work and international loans.

📅 Thursday 11 December 2025

⏰ 3pm - 4pm

📍the Whitworth

🎟️ Book your free tickets now

The Whitworth is a venue with level access throughout, and facilities to support you during your visit. Alongside this our visitor team will be on hand to assist you in the gallery. Find out more about planning your visit to the Whitworth and accessibility information for you.

If you’d like to speak to a team member about any access or additional needs, please get in touch with the gallery and we will be happy to assist you. Email d2hpdHdvcnRoIHwgbWFuY2hlc3RlciAhIGFjICEgdWs= or telephone 0161 275 7450.

The Whitworth art gallery and gardens is driven by a mission to work with communities to use art for positive social change, and actively addresses what matters most in people’s lives. We are proudly part of The University of Manchester, operating as a convening space between the University and the people of the city.

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