I spent two weeks in the rainforest, primarily in the Waorani community Kewediono along the Shiripuno River, a tributary of the Amazon. From Quito, Ecuador, the travel required a flight to the oil town Coca (where I gathered supplies), a hired driver into the jungle, and a day-long, dugout canoe ride that ended in total darkness where a friend was thankfully waiting. I also visited the Tiputini Biodiversity Station in the adjoining Yusuní National forest.
The Yasuní is reputed to be the most biodiverse place on Earth. Unfortunately, the richest oil reserves in Ecuador are positioned below it and through ongoing political controversy, the region is open for active exploration and extraction. Coupled with an illegal logging industry, the petroleum industry is a threat to Waorani land and important habitat. Evidence of encroachment abounds as oil pipes snake through the jungle and stack fires burn at night in the canopy.
The sculpture drum, 2019 explores these issues several years after my initial trip to the Amazon.