For sponsors of the Wellness Fest – Vilcabamba 2025

Workshop

Byron Tenesaca Guaman

Bilingual

In “Drawing and Identity,” participants will have the opportunity to create a self-portrait using natural pigments, while exploring essential themes such as positive identity development, empowerment, leadership, and the relationship with Mother Earth.

This workshop invites dialogue and reflection through the practice of ayni—our reciprocal way of living with the mountain—and integrates elements such as weaving, storytelling, sincerity, solidarity, and humility. The proposal seeks to unite the people of Abya Yala and Tortuga Island in an international minka of healing, protection, empowerment, and prosperity for our Indigenous communities and nations.

What will you do?

Self-reflection with natural pigments: learn to extract and prepare vivid colors from the earth.
Exploring Your Identity: Exercises for Positive Development, Empowerment, and Leadership
Practicing Ayni: reciprocal dialogue with the mountain to create a community.
Integrating arts and values: weaving techniques, authentic storytelling, and values of sincerity, solidarity, and humility.

Key Benefits:

Discover your voice and strengthen your self-confidence
Connect your creativity with the ancestral power of Pachamama
Participate in an international healing and prosperity minka for indigenous communities

Byron Tenesaca Guaman, of Kañari Kichwa descent, is a bilingual cultural arts educator with seven years of experience teaching art from kindergarten through 12th grade in the United States. He holds a Master's degree in Integral Education with a specialization in Visual Arts from Western Carolina University and combines his identities as a visual artist, basket maker, immigrant, storyteller, and father to create spaces that foster creativity, reflection, and empowerment in youth.

Passionate about using art as a tool to amplify Indigenous voices and address contemporary challenges, Byron has held leadership roles in renowned cultural institutions and recently returned to his Andean community to promote documentation and empowerment projects in the arts and crafts. His innovative and committed approach positions him as an inspiring voice for transforming identity and promoting well-being in our communities.