Oaxacan Wood Carvings Art from Mexico

History of Wood carving Oaxaca has a wood carving tradition dating from pre-Hispanic times; Zapotecs used to carve religious totems and ceremonial masks. Following the Spanish conquest carvers made wooden saints, angels, crosses, altars and masks. The masks were used in dances and representations about biblical passages and Christian stories that helped friars catechize the native people. After the Independence War wood carving dwindled. Masks used in traditional dances and animal and human miniature figurines made as toys for children were carved by few artisans as a side job. In the 1940's, with the construction of the Pan-American Highway, Oaxaca opened up to tourism. Folk art stores were opened in Oaxaca City and the Monte Alban archeological site and artisans finally had an outlet for their crafts.

Modern Carving Manuel Jimenez a peasant from San Antonio Arrazola is the creator of this renowned folk art style Native of Arrazola, a small village in the Oaxaca Valley, he is considered the father of the Oaxacan wood carvings tradition. Jimenez began carving very young while tending goats; he started selling masks and wooden miniatures, mostly farm animals and human figures in Monte Alban.

Although Oaxacan wood carvings have been around for less than 60 years, they have become one of the most popular folk art styles in Mexico. The monos de madera or alebrijes as they are called in Spanish were originally created by carver Manuel Jimenez but soon became so popular that other people from his town and a few other communities in Oaxaca began carving to have an extra income. The economical boom created by the popularity of these colorful creatures has given many families the chance to have a better life in one of the poorest areas of the country.

Examples

Planning Choose an animal for your sculpture Draw what your sculpture will look like – What form will your body need to be? Long and skinny, oval, circle, boxy, etc – What parts will you need to make and add on? Legs, flippers, tails, beak, ears... Add a patterned texture plan – we will carve and add on texture as pattern