THE HAPPY ALIEN
Constantino Blas
From a remote region of Oaxaca, emerged the rainbow-colored works of the Blas brothers of San Pedro Cajones. Their workshop is located in San Pedro Cajonos, a picturesque town high in the Sierra Zapoteca mountains. Their paintings were starkly different than other villages.
Constantino was born in San Pedro Cajonos, in 1952. He started out as a farmer, which is the most common occupation in the community, and seeing that it was not enough to support his family, he decided to make ixtle nets, bags, bricks, and adobe blocks. Seeing that his income was still insufficient, he began to look for a new path, fostering his great and brilliant imagination.
One day, together with his brothers, they thought about what would come out of carving wood and then decorating or painting it. At 33 years old, he began carving masks of the community’s original and traditional dances. Little by little, he transformed and created new pieces until he began making many fantastic animals, dragons, and insects, giving them curious names like Caralampios (Happy Alien). He made these figures for 36 years. Working day and night, he demonstrated that imagination is the best inspiration. With dedication, nothing is impossible. His pieces were featured in exhibitions at both the state and national level. Unfortunately, his reaching the international level was cut short due to Covid-19. He died in 2021 at the age of 69.
