Kogi White #1 (36” x 48")
Acrylic on Canvas
To collect the pigment I used in this piece, I traveled to the Namgeja Mountains of northern Colombia to live with the Kogi Tribe. Although the Kogi may not seem like the likeliest pigment choice, with their colorless wardrobe, lack of face or body painting customs, and no colorful sculpture or mask tradition to speak of. However, they do have one. It is one of the oldest in history. They use this pigment daily, hiding in plain sight, and, although they didn’t quite grasp what I was going to do with it, they graciously offered to teach me about it.
It all begins with Hayu. The dried leaves from the coca plant; the same plant used to make cocaine. Although I have heard the similarity between Hayu and cocaine as being about as related as rye bread to whisky, the Kogi claim to be more attuned to their gods, to have an unnaturally clear mind, a boost in energy, and heightened senses when using it. And to boost this affect even further, they add one more thing, one more natural element, the thing we came to collect: powdered sea shells that they carry in a hollowed and dried gourd called a poporo. A saliva wet stick is used to extract the shell powder from the poporo. The residue of saliva and shell powder is then scraped along the top of the gourd, creating a build up over months and years, the thickness of which creates something of a status symbol for those men with the thicker buildup.
All paintings are shipped unstretched, rolled, and in a protective shipping tube. For other options please email mary.jones@christopherdulin.com.
Acrylic on Canvas
To collect the pigment I used in this piece, I traveled to the Namgeja Mountains of northern Colombia to live with the Kogi Tribe. Although the Kogi may not seem like the likeliest pigment choice, with their colorless wardrobe, lack of face or body painting customs, and no colorful sculpture or mask tradition to speak of. However, they do have one. It is one of the oldest in history. They use this pigment daily, hiding in plain sight, and, although they didn’t quite grasp what I was going to do with it, they graciously offered to teach me about it.
It all begins with Hayu. The dried leaves from the coca plant; the same plant used to make cocaine. Although I have heard the similarity between Hayu and cocaine as being about as related as rye bread to whisky, the Kogi claim to be more attuned to their gods, to have an unnaturally clear mind, a boost in energy, and heightened senses when using it. And to boost this affect even further, they add one more thing, one more natural element, the thing we came to collect: powdered sea shells that they carry in a hollowed and dried gourd called a poporo. A saliva wet stick is used to extract the shell powder from the poporo. The residue of saliva and shell powder is then scraped along the top of the gourd, creating a build up over months and years, the thickness of which creates something of a status symbol for those men with the thicker buildup.
All paintings are shipped unstretched, rolled, and in a protective shipping tube. For other options please email mary.jones@christopherdulin.com.
Acrylic on Canvas
To collect the pigment I used in this piece, I traveled to the Namgeja Mountains of northern Colombia to live with the Kogi Tribe. Although the Kogi may not seem like the likeliest pigment choice, with their colorless wardrobe, lack of face or body painting customs, and no colorful sculpture or mask tradition to speak of. However, they do have one. It is one of the oldest in history. They use this pigment daily, hiding in plain sight, and, although they didn’t quite grasp what I was going to do with it, they graciously offered to teach me about it.
It all begins with Hayu. The dried leaves from the coca plant; the same plant used to make cocaine. Although I have heard the similarity between Hayu and cocaine as being about as related as rye bread to whisky, the Kogi claim to be more attuned to their gods, to have an unnaturally clear mind, a boost in energy, and heightened senses when using it. And to boost this affect even further, they add one more thing, one more natural element, the thing we came to collect: powdered sea shells that they carry in a hollowed and dried gourd called a poporo. A saliva wet stick is used to extract the shell powder from the poporo. The residue of saliva and shell powder is then scraped along the top of the gourd, creating a build up over months and years, the thickness of which creates something of a status symbol for those men with the thicker buildup.
All paintings are shipped unstretched, rolled, and in a protective shipping tube. For other options please email mary.jones@christopherdulin.com.