Abel Rodríguez Colombia

Abel Rodríguez (1941, Colombia), artist, plant expert and community elder

Abel Rodríguez is an elder of the Nonuya people with special expertise in the plants and ecological systems of the Amazon Basin. After his family left their homeland in the 1990s in the midst of the armed conflict, he began to create exquisite intricate drawings and paintings that are esteemed in both art and scientific circles for their unique qualities. By recording and conveying the Nonuya’s holistic environmental knowledge, passed down through generations, Abel Rodríguez’ work demonstrates the value and relevance of indigenous knowledge for the common good. 

2014 Awards Committee Report here.