Don Abel Rodríguez: the man who transformed Amazonian wisdom into eternal art.

On April 10, 2025, Don Abel Rodríguez, also known as Mogaje Guihu, his birth name meaning 'Feather of Resplendent Hawk', passed away at the age of 84. He was an indigenous wise man of the Nonuya ethnic group, an artist, and one of the most important guardians of ancestral Amazonian knowledge. Although his departure leaves a great void, his legacy lives on in his works, in the trees he illustrated, and in the jungle he helped protect.

From Saving the Amazon, we deeply regret his passing and gratefully and admiringly remember the journey we shared with him. Don Abel was not only an inspiration; he was also an active part of one of our most significant projects.

Photo taken from Instituto de Visión: https://institutodevision.com/artists/abel-rodriguez/

The Plant Namer

Born in 1941 in La Sabana, between the Cahuinarí and Igara-Paraná rivers, Don Abel knew from childhood that his life would be linked to plants. His ability to name them, describe them, heal with them, and narrate their history made him a living encyclopedia of the Amazon.

In the 90s, due to the armed conflict, he was displaced to Bogotá. It was there that he began to translate his ancestral knowledge into drawings that would later travel to museums, biennials, and publications around the world. "Paintings help me translate without words," he once said, "to communicate my mind and show in a way that people understand."

Artwork: The Flat Land. Photo taken from Instituto de Visión: https://institutodevision.com/works/el-terreno-plano/

Art that Sows Life in the Amazon

During his lifetime, Don Abel was part of one of our most significant projects.

In alliance with Club Colombia, we launched a special edition of golden beer, made with 100% Colombian barley and inspired by his work. This collaboration paid tribute to his art and ancestral wisdom, and allowed us to plant more than 10,000 native trees in protected areas of the Amazon, also in honor of his work. His embodied work is a deep reflection of the botanical, historical, and spiritual wisdom of the Amazonian peoples. Through his art, he transformed the knowledge of the Nonuya community and the jungle into a legacy, bringing to the world a visual testimony of ancestral knowledge that endures through time. 

Photo taken from Club Colombia's website: https://www.clubcolombia.com.co/eterno

Thank You, Master

From Saving the Amazon, we will continue planting trees as a testament to his legacy, promoting conservation, restoration, and the empowerment of indigenous communities, just as he dreamed. Thank you, Don Abel, for teaching us to look at the jungle with different eyes. May his shadow continue to accompany us.