Isabel Fabian created an extraordinary bat alebrije in full flight.
Isabel Fabian carves the bat from a single piece of copal wood, without using any glue or separate parts. The wings reach out evenly, each showing detailed ribs, curves, and layers. Every surface is covered in black-and-white geometric patterns that make you want to look more closely.
The murcielago, bat, is very meaningful in this valley. The Zapotec civilization, whose ruins at Monte Albán are just south of Isabel’s workshop in San Martín Tilcajete, saw the bat as a symbol of the underworld and change. It is one of the oldest bat deities in Mesoamerica. Isabel’s carving subtly shows that presence.
The wings curve inward from end to end. To make this happen, Isabel carefully carved wood from the inside of each wing, leaving the edges thin yet strong. This is hard to do with such a wide piece of wood. The surface catches the light in different ways as you move around it, so the piece seems to change.
The face is small but full of expression. Its round eyes are made from tight spirals, and a small red mouth sits below. The look is both surprised and confident. Dense crosshatch patterns cover the body, step fret borders run along the wings, and a large spiral mandala spreads across the back, all leading your eyes to the face.
Isabel used only black, white, and gray for this piece, which gives it a sense of elegance and grace. Each pattern, texture, and shift from dark to light stands out on its own, without needing extra color.
