Makunaimî's Grandson is Doctor of Arts: the trajectory of Makuxi indigenous artist Jaider Esbell

Abstract

This article is an excerpt of research that has been developed for approximately 10 years, on the trajectory and artistic/literary production of the indigenous artist Makuxi Jaider Esbell (1979-2021). Born in the municipality of Normandia, state of Roraima, in the current Raposa Serra do Sol Indigenous Land, Jaider Esbell, indigenous to the Makuxi people, has recognized himself as an artist since he was a child and then begins to plan his steps to achieve recognition and thus advertise and disseminate culture indigenous people, their customs, values ​​and conflicts. Walking with “treadmill steps” as he himself stated (ESBELL, ANO), he understood the complexity of the two worlds in which he lived, the white world and his indigenous world, and with great magnitude he knew how to appropriate the knowledge and spaces produced by the colonizer, gaining notoriety in the complex and restricted Western Art System.  Together with his companions, including Denílson Baniwa, Gustavo Caboclo and Daiara Tukano, Esbell collaborated in creating the term Contemporary Indigenous Art (AIC). His thoughts and art conquered the world. During his career, he received important awards, stood out at the 2021 São Paulo Biennial and in 2024 received the title of Doctor Honoris Causa at the Federal University of Roraima (UFRR). This article intends to present, through bibliographical sources, the trajectory and legacy of Jaider Esbell, which provided support for the honor given to the artist by UFRR, with the study limited to that period.