Urban Jungle

From the outside, 11 Packenham Road in Edgbaston looks like any other traditional Edgbaston town house. But step through the front door and your senses will be captivated by the sights and smells of the Brazilian rain forest.

Over twenty indigenous tribes of the Amazon basin have contributed to Xapiri, which is part gallery, part museum, part classroom and part shop. Owners Jack and Gareth are seasoned travellers who have trekked extensively through northern Brazil. In April 2015 they returned to the UK for the first time in five years, on a mission to spread awareness of the peoples they met and the issues faced by them, such as deforestation and a lack of respect from modern Brazilian society.

The rooms are packed with beautifully displayed ceramics, jewellery, baskets and carvings. “Eighty per cent of the items here have been made to sell,” explains Jack. “There’s little appreciation for the art in Brazil, but we pay a fair price and it’s a major source of income for the tribes.”

However, many of the items on display are very special and definitely not for sale. “This is a ceremonial mask from the Wayana tribe,” Jack explains, pointing at a stylised face with long, black hair. “They’re used in traditional ceremonies to bless new homes, and there’s only one other that we know of in Europe, in a museum in Amsterdam.”

Jack admits that he met with a tentative welcome when he was first introduced to many of the tribal people. “It’s understandable. There’s a lot of sensitive history in play and they are rightly cautious. But once they realise you're there for the right reasons, they are incredibly welcoming. Everything is shared as if you are a member of their family.”

It’s the vibrant, intimate portraits captured by Brazilian photographer Alice Kohler which really bring the gallery’s artefacts to life and underpin Xapiri’s mission to inform and educate people in the UK about Brazil’s tribal cultures. 

To experience Xapiri for yourself, email or call in advance to check someone will be in to show you around. 

E: peace@xapiri.com

T: 0121 245 5676
W: xapiri.com

Published in My Harborne and Edgbaston, February 2016.