Capturing Amantani tribe
Uriel Ukumary Montúfar is a passionate photographer and environmental lawyer. He was born Quechua and was raised in Aymara. His personal connection to these indigenous Peruvian groups plays a large role in his photographs, through which he tries to convey indigenous world views and people’s responsibility towards the environment. In his images, Montúfar refers to both capitalism and the increasing effects of industrialisation on our environment. His professional connection to the subject matter also allows him to profoundly and emotionally bond art, the environment, the indigenous peoples of South America and socio-political issues in his photographs. In particular, he focuses on Man’s relationship with Pachamama – Mother Earth. The photographer has received several awards, for instance as part of the UNESCO Projects for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage and at the Sony World Photography Awards. Uriel lives and works in Puno, Peru.
He can speak Aymara language but not the Quechua language. He has been working on several projects for years. ‘The Puraqta Kay’ project went on for 9 years in the Amantani Islands. It talks about the duality of Pachamama(mother earth) and Pachatata (father sky) and when they two meet the indigenous people of the Amantani receive blessings in the form of rain, which gives good produce in agriculture. ‘Wilka Nina’ is another project Uriel worked on for 2-3 years. This project focuses on the presence of fire in almost every ceremony of Andean people. The fire has an image of purification and symbolises sacredness. The smoke that comes out of it as well plays an important role and so they dance around the fire. They believe that the fire can be a creator as well as a destroyer. The Andean people in their traditions show a lot of contraposition/ duality in talking about Pachamama and Pachatata (genders), the fire inside the earth and outside it, etc. So Uriel tried to show this duality in his black and white photographs, showing the contrast between the light and the darkness.