Oaxacan Artists

In folk art, everyone can be considered an “artist”. Being an artist is not the result of art school training, nor is it limited to those who have been judged to be “artistically gifted”. In the folk art tradition, things are created for usefulness, religious purposes, and decoration. They are an expression of feeling, spirit, imagination, superstition, playfulness, cultural beliefs and heritage.  Family members practice their craft in the home, and children grow up in the creative tradition. The children are often given creative tasks at an early age and can become quite proficient by adolescence.

While everyone can contribute to the wealth of creative art, some are recognized as being “masters”. The qualities that earn an artist the honor of being considered a master include exceptional technical skill, innovation, originality, sophistication, and attention to detail.

It is exciting to find young and emerging talent. With generations of mentors, along with modern influences and an increasing access to the larger world, new artisans are continuing to delight us.  Folk art is both rooted in ancient ties to place, nature, cultural memory, and tradition, and also continually evolving as younger generations find their own expression of this history.

We attempt to provide information about the artisans whose work we sell. The following photos are typical of the work environments, materials, and techniques of some of the represented artists.