Luis Pablo: Alebrije Cat with Butterfly Woodcarving
Luis Pablo: Alebrije Cat with Butterfly Woodcarving
Luis Pablo has carved a cat that has forgotten it is supposed to be a hunter!
A blue butterfly has landed on the cat's tail, and the cat has turned to look at it, trying to decide whether to play or hunt. Upright, with front paws planted, the figure is beautifully balanced and well-formed.
The face is gorgeous and expressive. The coat is classic orange tabby, the marmalade cat, with swirling concentric bands in warm orange and gold and white at the muzzle and paws. It is one of the most widely recognized coat patterns in the world, appearing in everything from ancient Egyptian paintings to Garfield. Luis Pablo chose the most familiar cat imaginable and made it entirely his own.
In Mesoamerican tradition, felines carried the weight of the night world, linked to sorcery and shadow. This cat has none of that.
The butterfly carved separately at the tail tip, blue-winged and precise, turns the whole piece into a story about a predator caught off guard by something fascinating.
His hand-painted candle on the base is Luis Pablo's mark on every piece he makes.
