Isodoro Cruz

A pioneer in Oaxacan wood carving and a mentor to generations of new carvers, Isodoro Cruz is the son and grand-son of men considered to be the best mask-makers of their day. He was among the first (with Manuel Jiminez) to take the animals off of masks and make them free-standing, independent works of art, thus fathering the whole genre of Oaxacan wooden animals as we know it today. Isodoro's works have been displayed at the Smithsonian Institute, at the Museo Folklorico (Mexico City) and at major shows in New York and San Francisco.

Isodoro truly brings images from his fertile imagination into three-dimensional art. Often stunning, the overall style could be called primitive with a real touch of magic. The masks' twisted forms and distorted features appeal to us both subconsciously and aesthetically; some are nightmarishly beautiful, others are dreamily humorous. Or the more modern beauty of the San Gabriel with the Holy Spirit is rendered in a colorful style, evoking the very real encounter of the divine with the everyday (note the toes peeking out from his garment).

Isodoro still mixes the human and the animal sculptures in totem style. These are sometimes accented by a splash of color – often red or yellow – which focuses the aesthetic impact. Other masks are more purely monochromatic and use fibers to simulate facial hair, giving the effect of a living skeleton whose personality beyond the grave is just as lively as ever.

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