Gorgeous Chameleon wood sculpture by Oaxacan woodcarvings artist Saul Aragon.
Saul Aragon, of Arrazola and co-founder of Ecoalebrijes, an association of carvers dedicated to sustainably replanting the copal trees the tradition depends on, carves this chameleon curled into a tight, watchful pose, tail coiled like a spring, front legs braced low to the ground.
The body carries a mandala-like spiral radiating out in concentric rings, a striking departure from the geometric cube patterning covering the legs, giving the piece two distinct visual rhythms working in tandem rather than one repeated motif. The head shifts registers again, finished in a fine triangular lattice that sets off one large, brightly ringed eye.
Hand-carved from a single piece of copal wood, an authentic example of Oaxacan wood carving built on real technical range.
