Late Opening: The Invisible Forest

Gallery 46 presents The Invisible Forest, an exhibition of paintings by renowned Native Peruvian-Amazonian artists realised by London-based author and curator Patsy Craig, as part of her Flourishing Diversity Series.

Launched in 2018, the Flourishing Diversity Series was created by Craig in collaboration with the Centre for the Anthropology of Sustainability at the University College London, and the UK-registered conservation charity Synchronicity Earth. The project aims at developing cultural platforms to help amplify Indigenous world-views and establish improved models of environmental leadership.

“At this point in time when our civilisation is faced with the devastating effects of human caused climate crisis, I believe that the leadership of Indigenous peoples, as stewards, caretakers and protectors of the earth, is crucial to achieving a stable future for all. I envision this future built upon solutions that actively affirm, incorporate and uphold the knowledge and rights of Indigenous peoples.” Patsy Craig

The Invisible Forest aims to address geopolitical and environmental issues of our time by celebrating cultural traditions that enrich and perpetuate healthy biodiversity as the means to ensure mutual flourishing. These Indigenous ‘wisdom traditions’ are recognised for their sustainable ideology and sophisticated understanding of our interdependence on the Earth System.

The majority of the artists featured in the show are from Amazonia – a vast, rugged, beautifully diverse expanse that is integral to the Earth System’s ecological well-being and yet has been continuously invaded by numerous resource exploitation interests.

Within this setting, the region’s original custodians are under threat despite significant studies demonstrating a strong correlation between the last remaining, relatively intact forests and the presence of Indigenous peoples. Informed assessments of the current global climate crisis affirm that Indigenous environmental stewardship perpetuates biodiversity which ensures inter species flourishing, yet it remains a struggle for Indigenous peoples to uphold their rights, maintain their cultural traditions, and preserve their ancestral knowledge and lands.