Aislan Pankararu (born 1990 in Petrolândia, Pernambuco, Brazil) is a Pankararu artist based in São Paulo. His acrylic paintings blend heritage and healing, rooted in the cosmology of the Toré, a ritualistic dance central to Pankararu life. The Toré connects the earthly and spiritual worlds, fostering divine communion through music, movement, and body painting.
Pankararu’s early life in the village of Brejo dos Padres, a spiritually significant town in the Pankararu Indigenous Land, profoundly influenced his work. Despite graduating from The University of Brasília’s Medical School, he remained deeply connected to his cultural roots, passed down by his grandmother. The Pankararu Indigenous Land, ratified in 1987, spans Petrolândia, Itaparica, and Tacaratu, and its people continue to fight for complete land rights against the legacy of colonization and modern threats like deforestation and forced displacement.
Combining medical knowledge and cultural memory, Pankararu’s art features abstract forms rich in the symbology of his homeland. His work often depicts molecular structures and microscopic patterns that resonate with the lifeblood of the Encantados, spiritual figures vital to Pankararu cosmology. His art has been showcased in significant exhibitions such as Indigenous Histories in 2022 and Brasil Futuro: As Formas Da Democracia in 2023, and is held in various prestigious collections, including Instituto Inhotim in Minas Gerais.
