Discover the artisanal activities of Oaxaca : traditions and culture

Preserving traditional crafts : workshops in Oaxaca

Oaxaca is not just a destination, it is an open-air workshop where time seems to have stopped. Here, one does not manufacture objects, one perpetuates lineages of creators who play with the matter. To go to the encounter of the artisanal activities of Oaxaca, it is to accept to slow down and to see the beauty in the imperfection of the handmade. It is a raw immersion in the deep culture of Mexico.

The Alebrijes of Arrazola and Tilcajete emerge from the imagination of the sculptors to become spiritual guides with psychedelic colors. This culture of the fantastic takes root in each notch of knife. One does not speak here of simple souvenirs, but of an artistic relic where each dot of paint tells a forgotten Zapotec myth.

The sculptor does not seek to tame the wood, he follows its natural curves to release a creature. A piece of branch becomes a winged jaguar, a root transforms itself into a serpent. This work asks for patience out of the ordinary. The meticulousness of the geometric patterns applied by hand forces respect and gives all its sense to the artisanal activities of Oaxaca. It is an organic art, living and deeply vibrant.

Weaving, clay and secrets of the artisanal activities of Oaxaca

At Teotitlán, the smell of the wet wool and of the natural pigments takes the lead. The Textile and the Rugs of Teotitlán del Valle are born on ancestral weaving looms, rhythmed by the dry noise of the wood which crashes together. At some kilometers, it is the clay which dictates its law. The Ceramics (Barro) black of Coyotepec shines like metal, while the Goldsmithery and the Jewels in Filigree, or even the Leatherwork and the Basketry, complete this unique panorama.

The artisans use pigments issued from the earth and from insects to color their world. It is this radical authenticity which makes the strength of the artisanal activities of Oaxaca. One leaves from here with much more than an object: one carries away a part of the soul.

Oaxaca remains the sanctuary of those who seek activities to cross the centuries. Between the hands of the master artisans, the matter becomes a universal language. To support these workshops, it is to ensure oneself that these traditions do not extinguish themselves.