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Man with traditional face paint wearing woven fabric clothing and a patterned textile hat in red, yellow, and black
Family Program

Story Time: Amazonian Myths and Kené

October 25, 2026 | 2:00PM - 4:00PM

In person, English and Spanish / En persona, Inglés y español

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Join us for a special Story Time presented in conjunction with Kené: Lines of Healing, Paths of Connection. Our guest storyteller, Erick (Ronin) Arias Silvano, will bring to life the histories of mythical beings—from river serpents to forest spirits from Amazonian oral traditions—that move through Shipibo-Konibo cosmology and the wider Amazon The program will be in both English and Spanish.

With Olinda Silvano’s luminous kené murals and the ceramic and textile works on view, children and families are invited to listen, imagine, and connect ancestral stories to the flowing geometric patterns that surround them. Kené designs are more than visual art—they are pathways of memory, protection, and healing. This storytelling hour will offer young visitors an accessible and joyful way to step into that world.

All ages welcome. / Todas las edades son bienvenidas.

 

Acompáñanos a una hora especial de cuentos organizada en el marco de la exposición Kené: Líneas de sanación, caminos de conexión. Mediante narraciones en inglés y español, nuestro invitado, Erick (Ronin) Arias Silvano, dará vida a las historias de los seres míticos de la tradición oral amazónica: seres presentes en la cosmología Shipibo-Konibo y en toda la Amazonía, desde las serpientes de los ríos hasta los espíritus del bosque.

Rodeados por los luminosos murales de kené de Olinda Silvano y las piezas de cerámica y textiles de la exposición, niñas, niños y familias estarán invitados a escuchar, imaginar y relacionar las historias ancestrales con los diseños geométricos que fluyen a su alrededor. Los diseños kené son mucho más que expresiones visuales: constituyen caminos de memoria, protección y sanación. Esta hora de cuentos ofrece a los visitantes más jóvenes una manera accesible y alegre de adentrarse en este universo.

All ages welcome. / Todas las edades son bienvenidas.

Erick Michael Arias Silvano, also known as Ronin Koshi, is a Shipibo-Konibo artist, communicator, and Indigenous cultural activist from the Cantagallo community in Lima. He learned kené art and Shipibo-Konibo oral traditions through his family and community, particularly from his mother, the renowned artist Olinda Silvano. His practice includes mural painting, textiles, audiovisual media, and collaborative public art projects, including Tañan Kené at the Museo de Arte de Lima. Through art and storytelling, he shares Amazonian histories, ancestral knowledge, and the beings that inhabit Shipibo-Konibo cosmology. His work supports the transmission of this knowledge to younger generations.

Erick Michael Arias Silvano, conocido también como Ronin Koshi, es artista, comunicador y activista cultural indígena Shipibo-Konibo de la comunidad de Cantagallo, en Lima. Aprendió el arte kené y las tradiciones orales Shipibo-Konibo a través de su familia y su comunidad, especialmente de su madre, la reconocida artista Olinda Silvano. Su práctica incluye pintura mural, textiles, medios audiovisuales y proyectos colectivos de arte público, entre ellos Tañan Kené en el Museo de Arte de Lima. A través del arte y la narración oral, comparte historias amazónicas, conocimientos ancestrales y los seres que forman parte de la cosmología Shipibo-Konibo. Su trabajo contribuye a la transmisión de estos conocimientos a las nuevas generaciones.

This program is co-presented by the Fowler Museum, the CMRS Center for Early Global Studies, the Latin American Institute at UCLA, “Race in the Global Past through Native Lenses” Grant, and the Consulate General of Peru in Los Angeles.

Photo by Jhonatan Cortegana Veldare

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