Roberta (Bertha) Cruz was born and lives in Arrazola, Oaxaca. Her approach to both carving and painting the whimsical alebrijes now famous in the folk art collector's world, defies many established norms but at the same time creates new ones. Every subject she creates conveys her own artistic vision with the highest degree of quality.

The alebrijes are made from the twisted branches of the copalillo tree, which grow on the hills around the valley. The wood has a sweet odor, and its copal resin has been burned in incense burners since ancient times. It is still an essential element at religious celebrations and such festivals as the Day of the Dead. Copal wood is easy to carve when it is green.

Today, as in the past, the carvers do most of their whittling with machetes or pocket knives. Then, they leave the carving to dry in the sun. After three days, it becomes lightweight and sands to a smooth finish. Before painting, some carvers apply a sealer to the wood to protect it from insects; others recommend freezing the finished carving after purchase, to kill any eggs which may still be in the wood.

You can hold a tiny object in your hand made by a village craftsman that carries within it his bittersweet humor, fascination with and embrace of death, easy acceptance of both tradition and novelty; her world of bright colors, dramatic skies, and ancient mysteries. Perhaps you will take home with you something of his sense of space and time that is not linear, like ours, with a beginning and an end. But Zapotec time, Indian time, more human time, the timelessness of works of art. In Mexico, "time is not so much a flowing river as very deep lake."

Oaxaca folk art is now known around the globe and it is here where folk art has crossed over into fine arts and the art gallery world abroad. Folk art is a living art form that reflects the artisan's changing world, just as fine arts do and movies.

The tourism that Oaxacan artists rely on for their livelihoods has been in jeopardy over the last year and a half due to civil unrest and travel bans that have kept the tourists away. Bringing artists from Oaxaca to Feria Maestros del Arte will hopefully open the eyes of Feria-goers to the fact that Oaxaca is once again a safe place to travel and seek out the art that Oaxaca has become famous for.

You can purchase Bertha's work from El Caracol Zapoteca and thank them for the use of this photo.

Contact information:
Roberta (Bertha) Cruz
Arrazola, Oaxaca

Or contact Marianne Carlson at (from the US) 01152 376 765 7485 or email mariannecarlson@gmail.com.