Sachaqa Artists 2025
Yasmin Dahnoun
uk
“Presencia Terrenal” (“Earth Presence”) was the first time exhibiting my work after years spent exploring natural pigments and plant-based dyes that have slowly transformed my creative process . The colours in the (first) painting include Achiote berries, ayahuasca leaves and earth pigments collected from river banks and hikes to the beautiful local potter."
Gabriel Briones
Ecuador
"It was my first time in Peru, and without a doubt, an experience that marked a before and after in my cultural and artistic journey. Thanks to Sachaqa Centro de Arte, I was able to deepen my research, exploring how art can make visible what is invisible in human digital interaction. For more than a week, I shared with artists from different parts of the world, experiencing an incredible cultural and creative exchange."
ganna ki
"During my one-month residency at Sachaqa Centro de Arte in San Roque de Cumbaza, I immersed myself in the living wisdom of nature — learning from the KEchwa Lamista community, from Petrona, a master of ancestral ceramics. Don Ángel, guardian of local traditions, forest, and eco-construction. "
Stefanie Cornelia
"Collaborating with nature in Peru to create pigments from clay, stones, and plants was an enriching extension of developing artistic work for me. At times, it was also bit of a limitation, but that’s precisely what brought me closer to the essence of nature.
Jungle butterflies around me of all sizes and colors catched my attention and I agreed on working together with them. "
Lauren McCarty
New york
"Spending time at Sachaca was a journey outside of my usual life and routine as well as a reconnecting with some of my core ways of being. Going to a village in the jungle from the hustle of New York City was a welcome change. I loved meeting the other artists that I shared time with at Sachaca and members of the village and surrounding community. I learned so much from these connections! "
paz griot
istanbul
‘Being a resident at Sachaqa was a crucial and powerful creative journey for me. Learning to work with natural pigments and dyes derived from leaves and rocks provided a new medium for my creative process and sharing my art at a local cafe was a profound experience for me. I would definitely recommend the program to anyone who wants to develop in their artistic journey.’
matilde
italy
"Living off-grid in the lush jungle of San Roque de Cumbaza offered a special opportunity to slow down, reconnect with my self, and experience the spirit of a place where land, people, and materials are profoundly intertwined.
For three weeks, I immersed myself in natural pigments, basketry, and ceramics.
What touched me the most was weaving relationships with the local communities, learning from their hands and hearts. "
Sarah Brooke
Australia
"My time at San Roque was truly one of the highlights of my trip in South America. The energy in Sachaqa helped me let go of the usual expectations and pressures I place on my own work. It felt like a space where I could really breathe and create freely.
Trina has built such a special environment that sparked so much inspiration in me. It was the perfect place to reconnect with nature, and that connection has given me a fresh perspective and clarity on how to maintain my creative drive when I return home."
Rodrigo Flores Yamasato
lima
film and photography
ollie camp
UK
"i also loved connecting to the village of San Roque, its lovely inhabitants have a really sweet community and I began to feel quite at home there. Also the connections made with fellow artists at the residence was awesome and im greatful for everyone i met there.
In the studio, surrounded by nature I found I could really get in the zone and focus on my practice as the influence of the jungle fed my ideas."
Sachaqa Artists 2024
Sumner Brock
“Attending Sachaqa was pure magic and I loved my time there. I met some amazing women artists from around the world and was inspired by everyone’s creative practice. Trina is the perfect host: she respects everyone’s own practice but is there as a guide and mentor when needed. She is deeply connected to the community and environment and introduced me to an authentic, respectful and beautiful Amazon experience. I will miss Sachaqa and I highly recommend attending.”
Reda Tomingas
"Right upon the arrival the loud sounds at night made me smile in my bed and helped me fall asleep.
We were 4 people everyday in the studio. The creative energy was surging! In just three weeks I jumped from markers to natural pigments and forgot about the digital creation all together. I dare say I went back to the old ways. It was such a relief."
Sara Ra
serbia
‘What’s is Love?’
@sara_ra_silkart from Serbia. Sara’s project explores the multifaceted nature of love by drawing inspiration from diverse cultural perspectives. She has collected a rich array of thoughts, beliefs, and expressions of love from different corners of the world. Her artistic vision is to translate these varied understandings into a unified abstract representation, centered on a heart-shaped canvas.
maya hagaia
isreal
Exhibition ‘Sueño Febril’ The exhibition aimed to visually capture Maya’s initial experience in the jungle, where the myriad sounds of unseen animals, insects, and birds contrasted with their awareness of her presence. The dynamics of power, lack of recognition, and curiosity inspired her to create eyes from various natural materials found in the jungle. These eyes were displayed alongside recordings of the diverse sounds made by the jungle’s living creatures.
Noga barak
isreal
In the following days, we did so much! Went to the river, joined the women circles, laughed, talked about our art and about life. It happened to be that one other artist was Israeli, as me, and the other was Palestinian, from Jordan, and it was a really great opportunity to connect, in the jungle, surrounded by the supportive energy of the Nature, and just be us.
Abigail moone
A poem - Twister
I wake up in red tornados, gritty
whipping winds of rage. Stretching
under knotted paisley sheets, extending
every finger, every toenail, every eyelash as far
into the world as they can reach..
Have you ever noticed that after great struggle often great inspiration? That’s the star. It’s the rejuvenation of hope, the restoration of the spirt, the transmutation of pain into life-affirming art.
aminah - Georgia/Palatine
‘I spent a month at Sachaqa. It was life changing and magical in the most unexpected ways. I went with the intention of getting creative with natural pigments and I ended up on a healing journey, reconnecting with my roots, and doing a lovely indigenous Palestinian face tattoo project with a traditional amazonian face pigment. ‘
kelsey Yeh
tiawan
‘During my two-month residency in Peru, aside from learning pottery techniques from Petrona, Trina also took me and artist Abi to the Pacaya Samiria National Reserve. That journey into the Amazon rainforest infused my work with a wealth of inspiration. Together with artist Sar Ra, Samaya and I waded through streams, gathering materials for pigments by hand, and learned from Trina how to carefully craft natural dyes."
mandy patmore
new Zealand
"Sachaqa was a profoundly life changing experience, both on a personal level,and for my practice. My only regret is that I didn’t have more time. Although it took a few days to adjust to my surroundings, I quickly settled into a routine, and my art making took on an exciting new direction."
Jahbarri
Bermuda
Exhibition: Divine Excavation - Driven by an insatiable curiosity to explore the origins, rituals, folklore, mythology, and spirituality of different cultures, I’ve often found myself pondering the faint traces of my own heritage. As a Bermudian, born and raised, I grew up with little knowledge of the island’s history before the arrival of shipwrecked Spaniards and British colonization. There was always a lingering question: who were the native Bermudians? Did they even exist, or has their story been lost to time?
Pleuntje Bongerssculpture program
*Roots of Rebirth*/*Raíces de Renacimiento*
"This exhibition explores the intricate relationship between humanity and nature, focusing on the cycles of life, death, and rebirth. The Amazon rainforest serves as both subject and metaphor, illustrating how the rhythms of nature—decay, growth, and regeneration—mirror the processes of personal renewal."
Pleuntje Bongers
sculpture program
Holland
“My time at Sachaqa was transformative, particularly through the weaving workshop. From the first moment I was welcomed into the family of Don Angel, it became clear that this experience was about much more than just art. We weren’t just using natural materials—we were deeply connected to the entire process."
Aaron Auguste Thomason- uk
"We went on walks, whilst collected rocks from the rivers to paint with. Visited Petrona and squished clay with our feet, harvested leaves from nearby Ayahuasca vines and other plants to turn into paint and worked with nearby artist Ale in her printmaking studio
A trip to Pacaya simiria reserve will remain in my heart forever."
celeste nunez bascunan
chile
celeste_nunez_bascunan residency was funded thanks to the National Council of Culture and the Arts of Chile, through the International Residency Fund.
Antonella Raio
Italy
‘The experience I had at Sachaqa Centro De Arte was total. Everything was perfectly organized to get me into the culture and heart of San Roque de Cumbaza. The people I met are unique in their goodness and talent. I will carry with me every face, sound, and smell that this place has been able to give me.’
juan pablo
chile
Para los quechuas, el “Buen Vivir” (en quechua “ayima kausa”) es un concepto que aboga por una vida vivida en equilibrio con:
La naturaleza: Vivir en armonía con la Tierra (Pachamama).
La comunidad: Fomentando la reciprocidad y el bienestar colectivo.
La espiritualidad: Mantener una relación respetuosa con los espíritus y los ancestros.
Sachaqa Artists 2023
julie ouiiiQuébec (Canada) Painter
"At the end of my stay, perfectly landing on the night of the new moon. Trina organized a wonderful event at the center inviting the friends of the artistic community living around San Roque/Tarapoto, everyone participated, playing music, we drank cacao, danced around the fire. The simplicity of this energy, a night which will stay forever in my heart and in my purest memories of this time passed in Sachaqa."
Photo group exhibition in the home of artist @ale_wendorff
Installation artist ivana papic -Poland
"I’ve spent some time with Sara, a fellow artist in residence, hiking and wandering through the villages, taking analogue photos, and talking with the local women who work with textile. I was touched by the warmth of the local people, who embraced me as if I were one of their own. "
Estonian artist @rudanovski Photographer and Origami artist.
"We were 4 people everyday in the studio. The creative energy was surging! In just three weeks I jumped from markers to natural pigments and forgot about the digital creation all together. I dare say I went back to the old ways. It was such a relief."
Jeanne François – Two months ceramic residency, an experience living with Kechwa potters and more…2023
france
Part One: ‘ Big Bang - I built a series of sculpted ceramic houses, the forms were designed to hold a fire within, functioning in a similar way to a Chimney. What I wanted to do, was to play with the face of the fire. Very different to a controlled kiln setting, which I wanted to escape from.
Sophie Naylor
"When I was painting, I was processing what was going on around me and the new connections I was feeling to the people and nature in this environment. When I wasn’t painting, I was constantly absorbing everything. I feel as if I was gathering endless inspiration for my next chapter of artwork that I want to create."
Music program: Inga Rothammel
germany
I was able to experience the magic of music on my journey and residence in the jungle in Peru. Picking the unplayed notes out of the air, experiencing the enchanting magic that allows people to unite, share and also heal.
I got up every morning and often felt like playing the saxophone.
This impulse that I had almost forgotten, often not noticed, not felt before.
Italian photographer: gaia bonanomiph
Photography Program
"I’m very grateful for the connection this residence has offered me, to get to know people from San Roque de Cumbaza, who has been very inspiring for my journey.
Thanks to Sachaqa I’ve also connected with photographer Javier Quintana @jqbonicelli_photo who drove me inside the Jungle to explore its habitat, the plants and animals all around."
Sachaqa Artists 2022
seven moons/ painter
"Thanks to Sachaqa for the once in a lifetime I was provided with a space to create nature, with peaceful silence, and no boundaries. Just me and my art. The results were great! I was able to develop a bright playful style, learn how to be more sustainable in my practice, and how to utilize different rocks, herbs, and pigments."
DrEa guray/ collage and paper
canada
"I was lucky enough to be part of the very welcoming and warmhearted community in San Roque. In the second week was even a big birthday celebration of the little village, with local dance shows and parties and a lot of fun. Thank you to everyone who made this stay special!’
Ana Balcazar/ visual and mural artist
peru
"I needed silence but the sounds of nature, every night was a wonderful experience to hear all beings full of life, and the bonfires, the power of the fire in the dark.
The amazon rainforest has a special energy, in Sachaqa I felt safe in solitude. I am very grateful for this opportunity."