What is Oaxacan wood carving?
Oaxacan wood carving doesnt have a specific definition other than that is a wood carving art created in Oaxacan, Mexico. This is a folk art with a tremendous number of styles and it continues to evolve and diversify itself. In Oaxacan wood carving, you can see a lot of animal motifs and other motifs such as skeletons, devils, religious motif such as Virgin Mary, folklorist creatures such as Nahual which is believed to be an amalgamation of an animal sprit and human being, an imaginary monster called alebrije, plants such as cacti, and other combinations of these motifs. The approaches of artists/craftsmen to Oaxacan wood carving varies. Some receive acclaims as artists and their works are traded at a high price, on the other hand, some remain as anonymous craftsmen who make cheap wood carving souvenirs. Although a native Oaxacan is not the only one who make wood carvings, every wood carving made in Oaxacan has a earthy feeling and we can see the connection between the aboriginal sensib