Luis Pablo carved this wonderful seahorse from a single piece of copal wood. It’s impressive how he shaped the curling tail, ridged spine, and long snout from one block, with no seams or joints.
Instead of making the body smooth and rounded, Luis Pablo cuts it into flat, angular planes that meet at sharp, straight edges.
These faceted surfaces make the banding pattern look sharp. Each row of blue, green, and red ovals sits on its own flat plane, giving the piece a bold, almost architectural feel.
Luis Pablo takes inspiration from mid-century modern textile design, using flat colors and repeating geometric shapes. This style connects Oaxacan folk art with a design tradition from far away. The head shows the most delicate detail, with a starburst of fine dotted lines spreading out from the eye on a warm orange background.
This is a true example of Oaxacan wood carving, fully hand-carved and hand-painted. It shows what Luis Pablo can achieve with just one piece of copal wood.
