During my fieldwork and travels in Bolivia, I got to know and appreciate the Aymara culture. The Aymara live on the Andean Altiplano under difficult circumstances. Sudden frost, lack of rain and storms can destroy the hard-earned harvest in one fell swoop.
The Aymara believe that their ancestors - the Achachila - live in the mountain peaks and protect them from there. In the cosmovision of the Aymara, everything is animate and respect must be paid to all living beings, regardless of whether they are humans, plants or animals. That is why they have been practising for thousands of years what we in Europe have only recently invented a word for: Sustainability and respectful treatment of nature.
Unhappiness, disease and social conflict are nothing more than the result of disharmony caused by disrespect. To maintain or restore harmony, it is necessary to give generously, both to the living in the community and to the deceased ancestors. I dedicate my painting Achachilanakax to the Aymara people and their wisdom.
