Jaider Esbell (Normandia, RR, 1979 – São Paulo, 2021) was an artist, writer, and cultural producer of the Makuxi people. He spent his youth in the Raposa Serra do Sol Indigenous Territory, where art was already present in his life, even though he followed other paths before devoting himself fully to it. After finishing high school, he moved to Boa Vista and, at the age of 19, joined Eletrobras as a transmission line electrician. He worked at the company until 2013, combining his technical duties with environmental education projects, sociocultural initiatives, and efforts to bring the company and indigenous communities closer together. Recognized with awards and professional distinction, he built a multifaceted career, which would later be reflected in his artistic production.

His work is marked by symbolic force and the dialogue between indigenous tradition and contemporary languages. One of his most emblematic works, the “Cosmic Snakes,” was presented at the 34th São Paulo Biennial in 2021, occupying the space with monumental inflatable sculptures that evoke spirituality, fertility, and protection in Makuxi cosmology. Subsequently, the installation took on other dimensions, such as in the urban intervention at the Amazonas Theater in Manaus in 2023, when two giant inflatable snakes embraced the historic facade of the building, illuminated at night, bringing indigenous art to the center of the city.

Even after his untimely death, Jaider continues to be celebrated as one of Brazil's greatest contemporary indigenous artists. In 2025, the Ministry of Culture awarded him posthumously the Knight of the Order of Cultural Merit, presented to his mother, D. Zenilda Sarmento, during the opening of the International Seminar “Traditional and Popular Cultures and Climate Justice - Global Dialogues and Local Knowledge” in Brasilia. In the same year, the Jaider Esbell Gallery of Contemporary Indigenous Art, founded as a collective and independent space for the production and circulation of indigenous artists, received the Brazilian Association of Art Critics (ABCA) Award, a recognition that reinforces the artist's legacy to the history of Brazilian art.