Nohemí Pérez’s work explores the deep connection — and conflict — between humans and nature. Originary from the Catatumbo region in Northern Colombia, she draws from the complex history of this border territory, where dense jungle meets centuries of struggle. Catatumbo is a place of extraordinary biodiversity, but also of overlapping forces, all shaping the land in different ways. Using drawing, painting, textiles, and installation, Pérez reimagines this landscape through the lenses of architecture, cinema, and sociology. Her large-scale charcoal works depict forests that seem to breathe, burn, or disappear, blending natural and human elements into dreamlike yet unsettling compositions. Shadows of buildings, machinery, and figures emerge within these dense landscapes, revealing traces of conflict and survival. Her embroidered textile pieces evoke both fragility and resilience, much like the territory she portrays.

A key aspect of her practice is the idea that nature is not separate from human history but an active participant in it. In line with Bruno Latour’s vision that “we have never been modern,” Pérez challenges the notion that landscapes are passive or secondary to human events. Her work reveals how nature and history are deeply intertwined — how the jungle itself bears the marks of war, industry, and migration. Pérez’s work is also deeply personal. With indigenous roots, she reconstructs the memory of her homeland through the stories of those who have lived and endured in Catatumbo. By layering history, geography, and emotion, she creates a new way of seeing the land — one that moves beyond conflict to recognize its cultural and ecological richness.