Vibrant painting of an Indigenous community by a river in a lush forest, featuring traditional huts, people, and human-shark figures, with a patterned border.

Huni Kuin People, Cipó – Huni Kuin Paintings in the MAR Collection, 2026. Photo: Thales Leite

Installation View

24 September 2026

Magazine América Latina

Translation Zoë Perry

2 min read

Installation View

Indigenous Cultures

Brazil

Indigenous art

Cipó – Huni Kuin Paintings in the MAR Collection

The Rio Museum of Art (MAR) presents more than 20 paintings by the Huni Kuin people, including an installation created directly on the museum’s walls by the MAHKU group.

The Huni Kuin, historically called Kaxinawá/Kaxinauá, are a Pano-speaking people who live mainly in the state of Acre in Brazil and in Peru. Art is deeply rooted in their traditions, including drawings and paintings that utilize the geometric kene kuin design, body painting, sound performances, and contemporary art, such as that created by the MAHKU group, whose work has been presented in various Brazilian institutions and at the Venice Biennale.

The curators of the exhibition, organized by the museum staff, emphasize that for the Huni Kuin people, the forest is a living territory, a repository of knowledge, and a spiritual presence: "Their imagery, their beings, their colors, and their compositions convey songs, stories, and forces drawn from the Nixi Pae (Ayahuasca) rituals, transforming the canvas into a threshold between worlds. In the paintings, life lessons are evident in a direct and immediate connection between all living things: people, forest, rivers and animals," they explain.

Cipó is open to the public until February 28, 2027, at MAR.

Museu de Arte do Rio
Praça Mauá, 5
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Visiting hours: Tuesday to Sunday, from 11 am to 6 pm (last entry at 5 pm)

museudeartedorio.org.br