El llanto del bosque (Quemas II)

Nohemí Pérez investigates the complex nexus of human ambition, violence, and the depletion of natural resources in her native region Catatumbo, which is near the Venezuelan border. Catatumbo is the setting of longstanding conflicts whose convergence creates a highliy volatile environment in one of the most fraught regions of Latin America. Armed paramilitary groups, Indigenous peoples, evangelical missionaries, large multinational mining corporations, and drug traffickers are all present in this embattled jungle region, reflecting the complexity of this frontier area. Human Rights Watch reports that since 2018, conflicts—referred to as the “war in Catatumbo”—over control of access to Venezuela and its vast coca fields have spiraled out of control.

The subtitle “Burnings” in El llanto del bosque (Quemas) II [The Cry of the Forest (Burnings) II] underscores the devastating impact of human-made fires in the shape of a disfigured forest. The somber and dramatic scene—charred smoky logs and ashy soil with some smoldering spots, against the stark contrast of the radiant chemically blue sky—depicts the loss of a once fertile ecosystem.

Pérez’s portrayal is a poignant commentary on the vanishing landscape of her oikos (home). With a resilient tree standing prominently, seemingly crying out to us, the painting conveys her emotional connection to the land. Even in this creation of a post-catastrophe scene, she introduces a glimmer of hope for repair and restoration, weaving a soulful bond with the ravaged landscape.

Pérez describes her artistic process as a personal quest to reconnect with her landscape of origin through emotional ties and memories, crafting new symbolic and geographic maps that reflect the realities of Catatumbo, allowing herself to appear on the stage of reconstruction and peace-making.