Name: Pariatsi
Artist: Enrique Casanto
Technique: Acrylic on canvas.
Dimensions: 69x31cm
 
This being depicted in the painting appears to correspond to the puffer fish, known in the Amazon and in the Asháninka tradition for its rounded appearance and its ability to inflate as a defense. In the Asháninka language, it is called Pariatsi or Páriatsi, and is a spirit associated with protection, the expansion of vital energy, and air medicine.
In the Amazonian worldview, the Pariatsi teaches the power of maintaining energetic boundaries: by inflating, it shows how to defend one's own space without resorting to violence, using the presence and wisdom of the body. It also symbolizes the control of breath and spirit, as its ability to expand and contract is associated with the manipulation of air as vital energy (similar to shamanic breath). Its round shape and apparent calm conceal an inner strength, reminding us that true protection comes from the balance between softness and firmness, between adaptation and inner power.