Jim Figora

“The Transformation at Chavín”
Acrylic on canvas, 22x28 inches
This painting is inspired by a recent journey I took to the ceremonial temple site of Chavín de Huántar in Peru. In ethnobotany, or the study of how plants influence culture, there are few places as interesting as Chavín. Initiates from across central Peru made a pilgrimage to gather at the sacred site to commune with the divine through the use of the San Pedro cactus and Vilca snuff.
The temple’s iconic tenon heads and stelae (depicted in the painting) — carved with snarling faces, fangs, and otherworldly expressions, tell us exactly what was happening here: a deliberate ritual of transformation. Initiates sought to shed their human form and become the jaguar — the ultimate symbol of power, night vision, and spiritual mastery. This was shamanic work at its most serious — a deliberate confrontation with the unknown for the sake of spiritual evolution. Through sensory deprivation while in the temple’s dark, underground labyrinths, combined with the potent entheogenic effects of San Pedro and Vilca, participants entered profound altered states of consciousness. The resonant sound of conch shells was blown to create deep, vibrating tones that guided the trance, amplified visions, and helped shape the intense inner experience. Along with the jaguar iconography, the many serpent carvings at the site show the importance of shedding of the old self, the movement between earthly and cosmic realms, and the flowing energy that connects the seen and unseen. I find it fascinating that so many centuries ago, people of the past were so interested in the ability of plants to aid in the act of transformation. It’s a concept I can relate to deeply…#psychedelicart
#ChavinDeHuantar #sanpedro #ancientperu #ethnobotany