What Makes Farinango
More Than a Photographer
Shawna uses her skills in multimedia design and using new technology to bring recognition to the traditions of the Kichwa community and the struggles of young indigenous women.
Shawna's work is featured in PWB's Virtual Gallery 'Original 'Perspectives' for the 2020 CONTACT Photography Festival.
“When asking what was Inti Raymi, the general response that I would get as a child would be that Inti Raymi is the celebration of the sun and it’s celebrated in Ecuador and Peru. My parents depicted Inti Raymi in two different ways one was to show gratitude to mother earth or time or resistance. They talked about it as a time of the year where indigenous men of different communities, would gather to show their power in multitudes, dancing, and singing in the central plazas or at the churches.”
By Shawna Farinango as featured in the Original Perspectives Exhibit
“Through Inti Raymi I was able to feel more connected to the land and spiritually, but many of the experiences I had made me realize that machismo is very much alive, and how difficult it is to be an outsider in my own community. Many of the experiences that I lived through made me realize the struggles that women have to go through with very little representation and acceptance at this time of year. Despite the machismo surrounding this celebration, many women that I met showed me that although change is slow, it is happening and made me feel welcome in their communities. This made me feel that it’s okay to be an outsider because to all these men, that’s what women were in this space.”
Thank you Shawna for continuing to express the need to respect past traditions and struggles, and a desire to inspire future generations of Indigenous artists to showcase their own unique perspectives
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