Oaxaca City celebrates life drawn from the landscape

Zeny Fuentes is wielding a large, wicked-looking knife in his right hand, not so much carving the slim block of copal wood in his left hand as liberating the shape within it. The knife moves quickly, blurring the metal and scattering thin strips of wood on the stone floor.

Image: 'Guelaguetza en Tlalpan' CC Attributions

Outside the long, low studio that sits in a small field just off the main road to Ocotlan, the lightest, briefest of rain showers has threatened and then disappeared in a bank of clouds. The returning sun lights the shelves that line the plastered walls. There, Fuentes's brightly painted panthers prowl, cats strike regal poses and dragons spread their wings.

We're half an hour south of Oaxaca City (pronounced waha-ca), some 200 kilometres from the nearest beach and a world away from the usual perception of Mexico. But this, I think, is where the country's heart beats.

Here, in a mountain-ringed valley where more than a dozen pre-Hispanic cultures flourished and where archeological treasures litter the landscape, the usual firm line between life and death, imagination and reality breaks down. There's no better symbol than the "alebrijes," the multicoloured wooden figures that Fuentes is carving. Born from the landscape and linked to the spirit of both artist and ancestors, some of his animals are pure fantasy, others indigenous and still others inspired by his travels.

"It is always the tree, that's how we are inspired," he says, not missing a beat with his knife. "We go under the tree and look up, and see the shapes --a curve that would be nice for a giraffe, a branch that would be nice for a dog. The tree has the form, and we give life to it."

Indeed, Fuentes and his family give life to the trees themselves, carrying on a tradition of carving amid the copal trees that they grow and harvest. He began carving when he was seven and now, more than 25 years later, he's the public face of a family studio where his wife, Reyna, painstakingly paints the figures.

Less an artist haven than simple heritage, the area around Oaxaca City--itself a UNESCO World Heritage Site, thanks to cobbled streets and Hispanic architecture such as the 16th century Convento de Santo Domingo--is known for its handicrafts.

Image: '' CC Attributions

Each village seems to boast its own unique form:... Getting there: Among other airlines, all fly to various points in Mexico, from which you can hop a short internal flight to Oaxaca City -- this makes it easy to add Oaxaca to a beach vacation.

Staying there: There's a range of hotels available.

Getting around: Self-driving is an option, as long as you're prepared to be very patient in the narrow streets of old Oaxaca. Local tours are also available, however, and have the advantage of a Spanish-speaking guide. Our small group of three travelled with Diego Cruz Castaneda, of Ayuso Travel and highly recommend his knowledge, flexibility and warmth.