Fantastic Animals From Oaxaca
A marriage of the native woodcarving traditions (nahuales o tallas de madera) of the southwestern region of Mexico and influences from the work of artist Pedro Linares in Mexico City, known as Alebrijes .
It was during the 60s that this popular art begun flourishing in Oaxaca, a state in southwestern Mexico well known for its arts and crafts and many traditions based in the Zapotec and Mixtec indigenous cultures, among others. The topography of the area, rugged and mountainous, has isolated its peoples to some extent and the craft traditions are honored and passed on to younger generations. The popular or folk art is found throughout Oaxaca and its capital, the city of Oaxaca. Noted communities are those of the state´s central valley and the original towns that surround Oaxaca City, especially those belonging to the Central and Ocotlan districts.
Animal figures had been carved in the central valleys of Oaxaca by the Zapotecs since the pre-Hispanic period. Totems of local animals were carved for luck or religious purposes, as well as hunting decoys. The first master of the modern-day carvings was Manuel Jimenez from San Antonio Arrazola y Isidro Cruz from San Martin Tilcajete. They crafted and promoted the carving that people had commonly started calling alebrijes. These artists, however, wanted their work to be known as wood carving or better yet as nahuales, to relate them to the mythical figures from Oaxaca´s Zapotec culture that were their source and inspiration. Today, more than 200 families carve the traditional nahuales figures from wood of the copal, a small tree native to the tropical dry forests of Mexico. These whimsical painted sculptures have come to be recognized as an expression of Oaxacan magical "realism".