Vandria Borari, the bridge builder
Vandria Borari, the bridge builder

Vandria Borari - source
Vandria Borari (Vandria Garcia Correa), belongs to the Borari people in Baixo Tapajós in the Brazilian state of Pará. She became a ceramic artist because she wanted to research and revitalize the original Borari culture. As a passionate activist, she campaigns for the rights of indigenous peoples and is also the first indigenous lawyer from her region, with a degree from the Federal University of Westpará. Deeply rooted in the culture and homeland of her people, she always strives for understanding and networking. She was instrumental in connecting 13 indigenous peoples of the Lower Tapajos (CITA Conselho Indigena Tapajos Arapiuns). Her knowledge and influence extends far beyond her own people. As a graduate of a law degree, she can campaign even more effectively for the rights of the indigenous peoples. She takes on the role of mediator and is active in a network of lawyers.
On her trips to Europe she is drawing attention to the dramatic situation of the indigenous people in the Amazon, exchanges ideas with people and organizations and learns about the culture and way of life. Because she knows and understands the different sides, she can talk about the life and culture of the indigenous peoples in an understandable way for us and build bridges. We need such people in order to establish contacts on site and to develop projects together with the natives.
Artist-in-Residence in Basel as part of Culturescapes

Borari art - source
From August 10 to October 31, 2021, Vandria Borari was Artist-in-Residence in Basel as part of Culturescapes 2021 Amazonas - in partnership with Atelier Mondial, Basel and LabVerde, Manaus, Brazil. During her stay, she researched contemporary European ceramic technology, shared her knowledge of ancestral pottery and spoke about human rights and activism in the Amazon.
It was about colonialism: What role does colonial heritage play in aesthetic practice?
Twelve artists from Switzerland, Brazil, Peru, Colombia, Chile, Austria and Germany pursued this question and created a group exhibition together. This pointed beyond the mere processing of colonial contexts, it asked more fundamentally about the role of perspective in constituting one's personal world view and encouraged one to consciously perceive and question one's own context and its influence on one's own perspective. In addition to the actual exhibition, the exchange among the artists about their research and work steps was an integral part of the creative process.
Communication and dialogue were essential aspects of the project in various respects, as a means of expanding one's own point of view to include other perspectives, and thus questioning the traditional normality, becoming aware of the inevitable superficiality of looking at the foreign and to come closer to respectful cooperation. Culturescapes



As Karuana

As Karuanas
Vandria is also part of the women's choir 'As Karuana', which was recently awarded at 'Native Awards 22'. “The singers of 'As Karuana Mulheres Indígenas Das Águas e Florestas' (The Karuana Indigenous Women of the Waters and Forests) are warriors that dedicate their lives to the protection of the rivers and the forests. They fight with their words, their actions and everything they can. The forest is part of them as they are part of it…”
All of this makes Vandria a bridge builder for a better world that we want to build together.
Updated at: 11.5.2023
Created at: 14.3.2023