Pensadores

Works from all over ancient Colombia show male and female figures seated in pensive poses, some chewing coca leaves and some with eyes half-closed, as if deep in thought. Known as pensadores (thinkers), they are responsible for conceiving (understanding) and maintaining balance in the world. “To sit is an invitation to the synchrony of energies,” observes Jaison Pérez Villafaña, an Arhuaco elder. “The banquito (bench) supports you while you think. It helps you ground what you have not understood. You are inviting yourself to solve a problem that worries you.”