Luis Pablo is one of Oaxaca's great woodcarving masters, an artist whose work consistently advances the tradition. This sculpture, known as a nahual, is a powerful piece.
The sculpture captures a moment of transformation. A man's face with a cat's body, his features calm and steady, his dark hair cropped short. Surrounding him, the cat is vividly present: its striped body is painted in cobalt blue and black, with a white underside, ears adorned with gold and red, paws marked with bright pink toes, and a long tail curling into a perfect S.
The nahual is one of the oldest concepts in Mesoamerican spiritual life. It refers to a person who possesses the ability to transform into their animal counterpart, enabling them to navigate between two worlds. Among the Zapotecs and Mixtecs of Oaxaca, nahuales are not feared as witches but revered as protectors, guardians of the community, and healers who can journey where ordinary people cannot. The animal into which each nahual transforms is linked to the day of their birth in the Zapotec calendar.
The painting features stylized cat strupes. It uses only two main colors to depict the cat: cobalt and black, while the white belly and small touches of pink and gold enhance the overall effect. Luis Pablo trusts the form to convey its message, and it does so powerfully.
This piece strikes at the heart of Oaxacan belief, crafted by one of the artists who best understands it.
