Story
Painted clay Sculpture of "la madre" Shipibo artisanal masterpiece in the local village.
After ceremony , maestro showing us an image from a shipibo cultural guide to Shamanic cosmology .
The delicate process of hand carving a shamanic tobacco pipe , we call tobacco "mapacho".
Sitting with my shamans mother , the great mother Ida.
Waking up in the maloka, after ceremony the Tuk tuk that were riden by the shamans the night before, dropping the students to the maloka. Sometimes we would walk, especially if it rained.
Mama ida, the mother of my late shaman Roger Lopez with a large Ayahuasca vine gorwing behind them. Mama ida had the most esqusite medicinal garden.
A local family spending time at home, open decks and hammocks in divinely simple and yet wholesome time together. Shipibos also dream together, often sharing the same dream.
Docking the local passenger boats to take the town back to the local small communidad to get to pucalpa, the largest inner town in the southern Peruvian amazon basin.
Sunset on the river, near my home in Anii-Nii-Shobo.
Playing football in Ani-Nii-shobo, early in my time in the Amazon.
Saying goodbye to my family who were returning to Chile.
A greeting and a farewell, in Ani-Nii-shobo.
Wearing the shaman robe, 3 years of medidation into creating this Kushima. This was taken in 2015.
A big group photo of all the family of Ani-Nii-shobo during a special time of bonding and soul connection.
Andres selame with his dog ulysses, he was the founder of Ani-Nii-shobo.
Gardening with Alberto and Werner, preparing a garden bed for an edible garden.
in 2016, coming back to the Amazon to meet my meastro The late Roger Lopez. This would be the last time I would see him in this life.
Hand carving a canoe, out of a solid piece of hardwood log with Jose, man with masterful hands.
Jose Tomas preparing a Sauna for the afternoon, we would take turns when i was in my final year and lived with the boys in Ani-Nii-Shobo.
Ni juinti, the school for raising shipibo children and instilling the secrets of shamanism and the secret knowledge of plants was a master project of maestro Roger Lopez and Andres Selame. Many people donated their time and moey and believed in its success.
My dog Goku, waiting outside the main maloka in Suipino.when I used to go
The main common area of Ani-Nii-shobo, many conversations happened here during my final year in the amazon. it was also the first conversation i had with my father back in Australia.
Ani-Nii-shobo- The private cabins along the water, both isolated and remote but remaining connected to the main home in the centre of the lodges.
A local sauna hut, remember sitting and also making many of these during my own shaman path and preparing for other people.
Family of Maestro Roger Lopez, making mantas with shipibo designs and patternings.
Early photos of Maesto Roger lopez and his family.
Going on a tuk tuk ride through the long dusty paths of the amazonian roads connecting towns together.
The small town Yarinacocha had flooded, so the diesmbarking was closer to the mercado.
The boys getting onto the tuk tuk and going for a ride to a local football match.
A home made canoe, caved out of a single wooden tree.
My maestro the late Papa Roger Lopez and Mama Olga Lopez.
Preparing a plant bath with the master plant, Chaikonirao.
My backyard, the Amazon.
A monkey called Oro
Early photos of Mama ida, preparing a ritual of Sanacion 'Healing'.
Early photos of Maesto Roger lopez
a passenger boat passes my own motorboat leaving the local town on the way back upriver.
Autumn in Suipino, with brother Mitsu and Masashi. We had just come back from the maloka after ceremony and still very lucid.
In the local mercado in yarinacocha, a local market vendor selling many different types of Platano, banana that has multiple uses especially in Shamanism.
The Pion Negro plant, used for a wand of plant medicine , called a 'basto'. We also used the leaves to make medicinal baths before and after ceremony to cleanse the auric fields.
Walking down to the san fransisco jetty, getting ready to go into yarina and source food for the tribe.
Meditation shrine in the studio, in Suipino a part of the Amazon, Peru.
The banana tree, with a flower in bloom and producing a young banana stem. I had 10 of these in my backyard.
Working on my painting the mandala of soul, following a vision in the maloka where i saw my own soul as a radiance of stars, a kaleidoscope of white and gold stars in a deep ocean.
A local Shipiba making a fire, continually moving up the logs to keep the fire embers burning all day for making potions, cooking soup and making asado 'Barbequed meat'.
At the end of 2011, after 12 months on the shamanic path I had a good talk and lunch with my late shaman Roger Lopez. I was 25 yers old.
For part of my time during my shaman apprenticeship,I would meditate and play the drums, paint and sit on my leopard skin and create art.
Working on my painting and the meditative process of mandal creation through my visions, this painting was made and its called 'The wisdom of Kanachaeri'.
Local artisans selling mantas with visions and shipibo markings specific to Shipibo shamanic cosmology.
Building my painting and meditation studio, on my land in the garden of my home in 2013. this was the second building project i had in the 2 years in the amazon so far.
The mother plant, Ayahuasca.
Sunset approaches, on the small lake behind Ani -Nii-Shobo. this signifies ' Big Jungle house'.
Inside my home, in Suipino.
Master Kinshon, the master plant living in my garden in the amazon. This was my first major connection to the amazon, it was gentle and a powerful spirit of the divine feminine.
Early photos of Mama ida and Aunty Nora, preparing a ritual of Sanacion 'Healing'.
Creating my Kushima, this was originally a gift by my Shaman the late Roger Lopez.
Ducks, living in my garden in the amazon
When i returned back to the amazon, to see my brother Andres in 2018.
Early in the path of shamanism, after a ceremony in the small maloka of Suipino.
There are hidden meanings behind each pattern
Traditional Shipibo dressware, these are handmade.
A local Shipiba, making Patarasca on the open fire. This is fish and herbs wrapped in banana leaves, tied up and then slow cooked on open coals on a grill.
The kushima, a robe that provides protection in the spirit world for the wandering journey into the world of the master plants.
Families travel by boat during the wet season, here the locals sell banana back to the mainland in exchange for fish, grain and rice.
The Front of the Kushima, total length of the robe is around 1.6 metres.
Having a painting session, in the house of mitsu.
The Front of the Kushima, total length of the robe is around 1.6 metres.
My home, in the amazon for 3 years, from 2012-2015
Mama Ida, the mother of my Shaman and master Roger Lopez.
waking up in the maloka, light pouring through and the visions may continue throughout the day.
Deep in the amazon, within the jungle a view of the canopy of the trees.
Maestro Tony Lopez, preparing Ayahuasca that will take many hours to prepare on a high heat and then reducing it down into a thick potion.
Mama ida, the mother of my late shaman Roger Lopez with a large Ayahuasca vine gorwing behind them. Mama ida had the most esqusite medicinal garden.
Heading upriver and bringing supplies back for the monsoon season. for 6 months of the year this is not accesible by road.
The maloka, this is the ceremonial house of woven songs, called icaro that are sung by the shaman of the ceremony.
Suipino, the sacred shamanic training ground and where i remained for most of my shamanic apprenticeship during year 1, 2011.
The gateway to Supino, many magical moments occured within these gates.
A shaman warrior at a local festival for celebrating the medicine of the peruvian Shipibo tribe.
At the end of 2011, after 12 months on the shamanic path a celebration with my shamans family and my friends. It was time to return home to meet my father.