Description
Drawing inspiration from their cultural roots, Mexican couple Zeny and Reyna proudly paint this cat sculpture by hand, covering the animal in vibrant floral motifs against a black body. The playful cat is handcrafted of copal wood with maguey fibers, making a bright addition to any home. Product Features: Country: Mexico Material: Wood Color: Black Story Behind the Art: Hola! We're Zeny Fuentes and Reyna Pi?a, we are married and were from a small town in Oaxaca. We both come from families dedicated to carving and painting wood in a style known as alebrije. Our parents were master carvers and they taught each of us when we were little kids. We studied different things too, but what we really like to do is crafting alebrijes and continue with our families traditions. Now Reyna and I exhibit together, and some of our alebrijes are on show in Israel and in Germany. Our work has also been sponsored by a renowned Mexican stationary company, who transformed our wood sculptures into paper. Reyna and I have different styles when it comes to alebrijes, and when we got married we decided to combine our ideas, creating our own version: our artistic identity where color and sculpture have a specific meaning. You could say we conceived a life filled with colors and a love for nature as well as for our huge cultural heritage. And now we share our love for this art with our children, who will preserve their family legacy. What we have taken from our culture is that we left the trees and recovered our own life, which is evident in every finished sculpture. Our raw materials include reclaimed tree trunks and branches as well as roots from dead trees, or the ones that we find in fields and rivers. We use the dust that comes off after sanding a piece to fill in the cracks that a piece of wood may have, and we use the thorn of a maguey to paint the more delicate motifs. Each alebrije is crafted by hand. The government of Oaxaca and the Tourist Ministry have both recognized our work as and named us master wood artisans and for promoting this cultural art form across the borders. In 2012, we received an award during Mexico's National Exhibition of Artesanias for our sculpture The Wild Bull of the Sun and Day. We love spending our free time in the nearby fields and rivers and admiring nature while sitting atop a mountain or hill. This is reflected in the work that we do, which is special and authentic. Our inspiration comes from life's essential elements: the sun, the moon, the wind, water and fire, as well as the main symbols of our Zapotec culture. They are related to animals, flowers, insects, the cycle of life, and time. We look upon Novica as a door that opens the world where Reyna and I can show people our work. We would like to express our thanks to all of you who find interest in the wonderful world of Mexican alebrijes. The handcrafted touch of artisan skill creates variations in color, size and design. If buying two of the same item, slight differences should be expected. Note: Color discrepancies may occur between this product and your computer screen. Imported
