Magaly Fuentes: Spectacular Hammerhead Shark Woodcarving Hearts in the 1970s

in the 1970s

the same animal

smiling snout makes it impossible not to grin back

almost like a living piece of folk art illustration on clay

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

Magaly Fuentes: Spectacular Hammerhead Shark Woodcarving Hearts in the 1970sThis 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