Magaly Fuentes: Spectacular Hammerhead Shark Woodcarving Hearts all together

all together

smiling snout makes it impossible not to grin back

the ancient civilization that flourished in the Chihuahuan desert of northern Mexico from roughly 1200 to 1450 AD

Antonio Xuana and his family carve each figure from copal wood and then paint it entirely by hand

and speech scrolls

Magaly Fuentes: Spectacular Hammerhead Shark Woodcarving Hearts all togetherThis hammerhead shark by Magaly Fuentes and her husband, Jose Calvo, is one of my favorite pieces because it captures so much of what I love about Oaxacan folk art. The carving itself is full of movementyou can almost see the shark twisting through the water with incredible grace. What makes it truly special, though, is the painting. Every inch is covered in fine, hand painted patterns: deep cobalt blues that remind me of the ocean, bright rainbow