The elaborate cosmological worldview of The Yanomami Struggle

Claudia Andujar has dedicated over half a century of her life to photographing and protecting the Yanomami—one of the largest indigenous tribes living in isolation in the Amazon Basin. Rooted in an intense connection “to the indigenous, to the land, [and] to the primary struggle”, both Andujar’s photography and activism has carved its signature through a conscious attempt to assimilate into Yanomami life. The Fondation Cartier pour l’art contemporain have partnered with Triennale Milano to put together the largest retrospective of Andujar’s work to date. Curated by Thyago Nogueira, the exhibition provides a rare insight into the elaborate cosmological worldview of the tribe, even including a series of Yanomami drawings and a movie.

In an essay entitled ‘Relationship: Man to Man’, Andujar conducts an astute self-examination of the personal growth she underwent in northern Brazil. One of her most poignant realisations was that the experience had allowed her to find “that which is essential” in life. For those of us living with the privileged belief that tomorrow is promised, it can be easy to forget that there are still humans on earth facing life’s “primary struggle” of survival. The act of shedding life’s superfluous baggage provides a comforting layer of simplicity allowing one to apply themselves to the singular goal of survival, even if it admittedly raises the stakes.

Whilst many of her contemporaries would utilise a documentary style that ensured they could keep a measured distance, the absorption of the shamanic culture she has been exposed to is visible in both the final output, as well as the input technique of her photography. In what might sound blasphemous to some photographers, Andujar applied Vaseline to her camera lens to create a celestial, mist effect on the subject. Oil lamp lighting and infrared film were also used to create images that had a hyper-saturated warmth to them, blending both the current state of nature with its magical infinite potential. Amongst the exhibition’s photographs are a series of black and white portraits of the Yanomami. There is particular focus paid to the face and body in these images allowing the viewer’s gaze little room to deviate elsewhere. These images sit in an unusual pocket of intimacy that feel genuine without ever feeling intrusive. Perhaps this serves as the perfect indication of successful assimilation.