Roldan Pinedo was born in the indigenous Shipibo community of San Francisco de Yarinacocha, about an hour’s boat ride from the Amazon city of Pucallpa. His name in Shipibo, Shoyan Sheca, means “restless mouse.” 

An entirely self-taught artist, Roldan’s primary influence has been the rich cultural life that surrounded him as a child. From traditional hunting and fishing to complex rites (such as ayahuasca ceremonies and work with other plantas maestras—“teacher plants”), Roldan’s technique is both uniquely his own and entirely Shipibo. And, of course, the Amazon’s vast inventory of flora and fauna, which he has immediate access to in the jungle that surrounds his village, continues to be a constant source of inspiration for him.

Roldan works with natural pigments he gathers from the jungle along with acrylic and oil, which he has combined into a signature style of vibrant, robust interpretations of Amazon life. His works have been exhibited in galleries and festivals in Peru and abroad.