Rocio Fabian: Wood Alebrije Cat horse sculpture

Rocio Fabian: Wood Alebrije Cat horse sculptureA magnificent piece of Mexican Folk art by Roco Fabin features a cat sitting tall and self assured, with its paws together and tail curling behind. Its head is slightly tilted to one side, as if listening for something. The figure is meticulously carved from a single block of copal, with the tail seamlessly integrated into the body in one continuous shape, demonstrating the technical skill required even before any paint is applied. The painting

paying particular attention to the faces of his subjects

The approach recalls Mondrian

known as the correcaminos or paisano

This wonderful whale is so aesthetic

Its piercing eyes and open mouth heighten the sense of alertness and energy

then covers it with lush hand-painted flowers that look almost like miniature oil paintings

a technically demanding choice that requires the clay wall to hold its shape and thickness through a deliberate inward curve without collapsing or thinning unevenly

and artistic imagination

Rendered entirely in papier-mâché down to the smallest tamal

with that gentle

the long hind legs spread in perfect bilateral symmetry

the cockatoo’s soft green body