Oaxaca (Spanish pronunciation:  ; English pronunciation: -kə), (from Nahuatl: Huaxyacac, IPA:/ʋaːsʃʲa'kakʰ/), officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Oaxaca (English: ) is one of the 31 states which, along with the Federal District, comprise the 32 federative entities of

Mexico. It is divided into 571 municipalities; of which 418 (almost three quarters) are governed by the system of customs and traditions.9 Its capital city is Oaxaca de Juárez.

It is located in Southwestern Mexico.10 It is bordered by the states of Guerrero to the west, Puebla to the northwest, Veracruz to the north, Chiapas to the east. To the south, Oaxaca has a significant coastline on the Pacific Ocean.

The state is best known for its indigenous peoples and cultures. The most numerous and best known are the Zapotecs and the Mixtecs, but there are sixteen that are officially recognized. These cultures have survived better to the present than most others in Mexico due to the state’s rugged and isolating terrain. Most live in the Central Valleys region, which is also an important area for

tourism, attracting people for its archeological sites such as Monte Albán, native culture and crafts

Oaxacan SculptureWood CarvingMagic in the Trees

Oaxacan (pronounced Wa-Haw-Ken) wood carvings are whimsical & enchanting art figures that have captivated collectors & enthusiasts worldwide. These imaginative &

brilliantly colored figures are hand-carved & painted in tiny villages in the state of Oaxaca, home of the Zapotec Indians in Southern Mexico.

Each figure is handmade from Copal wood from the hills surrounding the Oaxacan Valley using machetes & pocket knives. Artists carve the basic shape of a figure in a few

days, then hand sand & meticulously paint each piece in great detail. The artists use fantasy & imagination in their painting to make the animals appear more alive. Full of

movement & humor, Oaxacan wood carving is an authentic folk art that knows only the boundaries of the imaginations of the carvers, for whom myth & magic are a major part

of their daily life.

Alebrijes (Spanish pronunciation: ) are brightly colored Mexican folk art sculptures of fantastical creatures. The first alebrijes, along with use of the term, originated with Pedro Linares. After dreaming the creatures while sick in the 1930s, he began to create what he saw in cardboard and papier mache. His work caught the attention of a gallery owner in Cuernavaca and later, the artists Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo. Linares was originally from México City (DF), he was born June 29, 1906 in México City and never moved out of México City, he died January 25, 1992.