Gabino
Reyes & Eloy Santiago
Carved Wood
Alebrijes
Oaxaca
is one of the richest states in Mexico for folk art. There is practically
no raw material (fabric, wool, clay, iron, precious metals, etc.) that
is not used in handcrafting a unique art medium. Aided by the artistic
talent and imagination of its creators, artists always respect traditional
techniques that distinguish Oaxaca internationally.
One of the most
striking examples of imagination coupled with artisan tradition is found
in alebrijes. These hand carved, brightly colored representations
of imaginary animals are made out of copalillo wood. Each piece
is signed by its creator because it is unique and one-of-a-kind.
Gabino
Reyes from La Union Tejalapam, Oaxaca, is best known for his carvings
of donkeys an cows with virgins painted on their stomachs. His work
is impeccable but not prolific.
His nephew, Eloy,
a second generation carver, finely carves traditional country figures
such as men leading a cart full of chickens drawn by a donkey.
Eloy's carvings
have wonderful detail and this subject matter is not often seen anymore
among the alebrije carvers. He truly captures the flavor of rural Mexico.
Gabino
and Eloy, like many other folk artisans, sell their work from their
homes and in local markets. The tourism that Oaxacan artists rely
on for their livelihoods has been in jeopardy over the last year and
a half due to civil unrest and travel bans that have kept the tourists
away. Bringing Gabino and Eloy's work to Feria Maestros del Arte along
with the work of other folk artists from Oaxaca will hopefully open
the eyes of Feria-goers to the fact that Oaxaca is once again a safe
place to travel and seek out the art that Oaxaca has become famous
for.
We are welcoming
the work of Gabino and Eloy for the first time to Feria
Maestros del Arte. They join
a busload of other
Oaxacan artists who are worthy
of your perusal - just look through the list and you will find that
we have put together some incredible talent for this year's show. If
you are interested in purchasing their work in the US, contact
El Caracol Zapoteca Gallery, or contact Marianne Carlson at 011522
376 765 7485 email mariannecarlson@gmail.com
(Gabino
Reyes photos courtesy of El Caracol Zapoteca Gallery)
