Sara Flores

​​Sara Flores belongs to the Shipibo-Conibo community, whose ancestral territory lies along the Ucayali River in the Peruvian Amazon. Created in 2021, this work embodies the concept of Kené — a system of mark-making deeply rooted in cosmology and ceremonial life. Intricate, geometric patterns unfold across the surface, forming a composition that invites sustained visual engagement. Flores’ meditative pieces convey a distinct serenity, generating a contemplative state, in contrast to the disorientation often associated with Op Art.

Flores’ artistic practice is simultaneously a form of advocacy. Through her work, the artist brings attention to the cultural and ecological pressures facing her community, including the harmful impacts of oil extraction, illegal logging, and narcotrafficking. Continuing a centuries-old matrilineal tradition, contemporary Shipibo-Conibo art speaks to the urgent need for cultural preservation and environmental justice, serving as a means for political agency and self-representation.