Gabino Reyes is from La Unión Tejalápam — the most remote and least visited of Oaxaca's three woodcarving villages, a place where farming still comes first and carvers have historically specialized in narrative, figurative work: religious scenes, saints, and figures from daily life, rather than the fantastical alebrijes of Tilcajete and Arrazola. Gabino stands apart even within that tradition, known for elaborate, finely detailed carvings driven by one clear intention: to surprise.
This deer is a perfect example. The body is beautifully carved and painted in bluish grey-green with a fine all-over pattern of tiny white dots, the belly and tail left in clean white — naturalistic, calm, observant. Then you look up. Where antlers would be, Gabino has carved a magnificent branching cactus in full flower, each arm tipped with small bright bougainvillea blossoms. The effect is as if this deer simply grew into the landscape around him and the desert became part of him.
Gabino does all the carving himself, while his wife handles the painting. Together, they are considered one of Oaxaca's most imaginative carving families.
