Carolina Sandoval: Alebrije Owl with Mask Woodcarving
Carolina Sandoval: Alebrije Owl with Mask Woodcarving
Carolina Sandoval and Kengi Santos are a married couple in their twenties. They previously worked at other workshops before starting their own. Their artwork goes beyond just woodcarving. They often combine wood, acrylic, textile, and wire in one piece. This owl shows the variety in their work.
Kengi carved this tall owl and its mask that fits perfectly over the owl's face.
In Aztec and Maya belief, the owl served as a significant messenger between the living and the dead, a creature that traversed the night world, and a bird that bore a second face over its own.
Below the mask, Carolina's painting shifts into cool blue feathers broken by twin sunburst patches on the wings, with a finely beaded chest panel that catches light differently from every angle.
Down the owl's back runs a narrow, woven band, a detail inspired by Carolina's hometown of Santo Tomás Jalieza, a Zapotec community renowned for centuries of backstrap loom weaving, adding cultural significance to the piece.
