ASOCIACIÓN DE MUJERES CON ARTES ANCESTRALES BAWAN JISBE

Our story flows from the heart of the Peruvian Amazon, along the lush banks of the Ucayali River. For nearly 2,000 years, the Shipibo-Konibo people have woven their lives into the rainforest, guided by ancestral plant wisdom.

Our project is called Asociación de Mujeres con Artes Ancestrales BAWAN JISBE – AMAABJ, with Bawan Jisbe meaning “Two Isabelas” in the Shipibo-Konibo language. It honours a lineage: grandmother Isabel Rojas Arévalo, affectionately known as Abuela, and her granddaughter, Isabel Sánchez Agustín, our first and current president.

Abuela, the matriarch, taught Isabel and many women in the community that our craft is not merely decorative; it is a language. She continues to teach and inspire the community.

We formed this association to ensure that ceramics, painting, jewellery, and embroidery remain living traditions and sustainable livelihoods. We are building a future in which Shipibo-Konibo women are recognised not only as artisans but also as masters of complex disciplines.

We bridge the gap between ancient wisdom and the modern market. By forming an association, we empower women and ensure our artisans are recognised for their knowledge and receive fair compensation for their work.

We protect Kené not only as an art form but also as a matrilineal heritage. We work to ensure that this tradition, learned in childhood and passed down from mother to daughter, remains both culturally vibrant and economically sustainable for future generations.

We envision AMAABJ as a global reference for Kené, bringing its artistic complexity and spiritual significance to audiences around the world. As our organisation grows, we create more opportunities for Shipibo-Konibo women to join us, transforming ancestral knowledge into sustainable livelihoods.

By sharing our art more widely, we aim to create new production opportunities, strengthen our organisation, and help ensure that the wisdom of our ancestors continues to thrive.

Walter López López, known as Panshin Nima in the Shipibo-Konibo language, is a maestro, community leader, and one of the most respected voices of the Shipibo-Konibo people in the Pucallpa region. He has dedicated his life to safeguarding his people’s cultural, spiritual, and ecological knowledge, while helping preserve both their ancestral traditions and the Amazonian environment that sustains them.

His wisdom, guidance, and unwavering support were fundamental in helping his wife, Isabel, and the women of the community establish AMAABJ, transforming a shared vision into an enduring organisation.