Denver’s new Indigenous art show moves beyond a single story—to textiles, video and bark painting

A wider view of Indigenous art

A painting on bark cloth, Wichí textiles and a 3-D animation share space in a new Denver Art Museum exhibition that brings together more than 100 works by over 50 Indigenous artists from Latin America.redpopnews +1 I Follow Rivers: Indigenous Worlds in Latin America opened to the public on November 8.denverartmuseum +1

The show spans the early 20th century to today and includes painting, sculpture, video, installation and sound. Rather than presenting a single Indigenous visual language, it brings together artists from distinct peoples and places, including Wapichana, Guaraní, Ishír and Yanomami communities.redpopnews +1

From bark cloth to animation

Santiago Yahuarcani’s painting of a winged woman in flight uses bark cloth; Seba Calfuqueo contributes a short 3-D animation about a fox and an otter. The exhibition also includes an ink drawing by Abel Rodríguez of a communal house surrounded by fruit trees, and a video of Elvira Espejo Ayca carding wool.airmail

Among the works highlighted by Artsy are textiles by Claudia Alarcón and works on paper by Sheroanawë Hakihiiwe.artsy Alarcón is a Wichí artist from northern Argentina who leads the Silät weavers’ collective. Its members work with hand-spun fibers from the chaguar plant, extending a long-standing weaving practice into large-scale artworks.ceciliabrunsonprojects

Alarcón learned the yica stitch from her mother and grandmother; ARTnews reports that related Wichí weaves appear in everyday items including clothing and bags. The collective’s work has also been shown at the Venice Biennale.artnews

How to see the show

Most works come from the museum’s own collection, supplemented by loans, according to Red Pop! News.redpopnews The exhibition is included with general admission and runs through July 27, 2027.denverartmuseum