Mata Ortiz Pottery
Juan Quezada 
Ceramics

Inspired by the ancient PAQUIME culture ceramics, Mata Ortiz pottery is now recognized as one of the finest and most innovative ceramics in the world. 
This new artistic movement is due to the efforts of Juan Quezada, the self-taught originator of modern Mata Ortiz pottery, his extended family and neighbors.

Mata Ortiz pots are hand built without the use of a potter’s wheel. Shaping, polishing and painting the clay is entirely done by hand, using natural colors and brushes made from children’s hair. All materials and tools originate from supplies that are readily available locally. The preferred fuel for the low temperature firing is grass-fed cow manure or split wood.

Each of these characteristics derive from the ancient pottery traditions of the region, however the Mata Ortiz pottery incorporates elements of contemporary design and decoration and each potter or pottery family produces distinctive individualized ware.

A vibrant flow of new ideas, without the restraints of traditional practices or gender constraints, has enabled the pottery of Mata Ortiz to avoid derivative repetition common to folk art movements. This blend of cultural expression and artistic freedom has produced a unique artistic movement in the community.

Juan Quezada Celado was awarded with The National Award For the Arts in 1999.

Huichol Art
Francisco Bautista 
Bead and Yarn works

The Huichol beaded art is a tradition innovation and is constructed using glass, plastic or metalic beads pressed onto a wooden, ceramic, gourds or papier mache form covered in natural beeswax from south Mexico. 

Common bead art forms include masks, bowls, animals and figurines. The Huichol bead work depicts the prominent patterns and symbols featured in the Huichol culture and it’s shamanistic traditions.

Deer, corn, fire, peyote flowers, scorpions, eagles and other animals are incorporated in the Huichol art designs.

Through their art work the Huichol encode and document their spiritual beliefs. They involve myth, shamanism, ritual, peyote, prayer and ceremony. As was true in pre-Colombian times, much of their current art continues to depict these religious themes and serve as a means of passing on countless mystical stories.

Francisco Bautista Carrillo "Xaureme" is one of the most important artists in the history of the Huichol people, his work of great beauty and quality, incorporates the traditional Huichol designs in compositions filled with color and modernity.

Francisco was awarded with The National Award For The Popular Arts in 1984 and 2000.

Oaxaca Alebrijes
Jacobo & Maria Angeles 
Painted Wood Carvings

The term "Alebrije" describes mostly animal-like mythical creatures made from papier-mâché or Copal wood.

the Zapotec tradition of wood carving has been passed by generations, but
the Oaxaca Alebrijes have only been manufactured for the last 40 years

Apart from the cutting of the trees and branches for which chainsaws are used, the manufacture of the wood alebrijes takes place exclusively by hand. Like their ancestors, the carvers use machetes, several differently shaped knives, chisels and mallets, gouges and scrapers for the coarse preliminary work.

The painting process tends to take longer and be more complicated than the actual carving. Even an intricate and extravagant carving may just remain a piece of handcraft until it is elevated to an art work by a talented painter.
The artists impress with their imaginativeness and their unerring instinct for colors as well as the precision and detail of their works. In today´s sober and technical society, Alebrijes offer a way into a world of fantasy.

María and Jacobo Ángeles refined the manfacture of Alebrijes into an art form and developed a unique style of miniature painting influenced by the indigenous art of Mexico. Their style is characterized by elements of nature, e.g. blossoms, plants, abstract creatures and symbols from their indigenous culture.