This cute little porcupine invites you to experience the rich artisanal history of Mexico, crafted of copal wood with maguey plant fiber spines. Mexico's Zeny and Reyna work together to craft this wonderful alebrije sculpture, painting it by hand with hues of bright green, yellow, red, and blue for a vibrant look.

Product Features:

• Dimensions: 3.1 inches high x 3.7 inches wide x 3.7 inches deep

Story Behind the Art:
Hola. We're Zeny Fuentes and Reyna Pina, we are married and we're 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. What we really like to do is crafting alebrijes and continue with our families' traditions. Our work has 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. 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. We love spending our free time in the nearby fields and rivers and admiring nature while sitting atop a mountain or hill. 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 were invited to teach children with different capabilities in a school in Michigan. Among them was a boy who would not obey, wouldn't eat and wouldn't pay attention. Regardless, we began to teach and I started carving a log of wood into a bear, and this kid was amazed by the magic of transforming wood into an animal. I caught his attention and I helped him make a sponge from a block of floral foam. 'When he was finished, he looked quite content with himself. His mother later told us that, when he got home, he was in a very happy mood. He ate, and then drew a picture of me, calling me 'art boy.' Apparently the experience contributed to him coming out of his depression. 'When she told us this, we felt a great sense of satisfaction. We had no idea how much we could help someone through our art. '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.

What is Worldstock?

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

• Worldstock Country: Mexico
• Product Features: Handmade
• Material: Wood
• Color: Green, Yellow