Behind a mask

Exhibition at Casa Montejo, Mérida Yucatán,
Fomento Cultural Banamex

In November 2019, we were fortunate to bring the exhibition “Behind a Mask”, to the beautiful city of Mérida, Yucatán, thanks to the invitation of Citibanamex, through Fomento Cultural Banamex, under the direction of Cándida Fernández, which was presented at the Casa Montejo Museum.

Carnival arrives as it does every year to San Martín Tilcajete, a town in the Central Valleys of Oaxaca renowned in Mexican popular art thanks to its copal wood carvings, better known as “alebrijes”, decorated with unique designs and multicolored dyes. This passion for art has also led the community to preserve other cultural expressions, among them a unique Easter Week carnival, where the “diablos” or “oiled devils”, so called because of the grease they smear on their bodies, are the main attraction.

For several years, the Taller Jacobo y María Ángeles, a recognized exponent of Tilcajete carvings, has been enriching and spreading this carnival by recovering its vernacular elements, while incorporating its aesthetic vision, especially in the costumes, highlighting its fascinating masks. With so much success that today it is already part of the living tradition of this town, and undoubtedly, of the multicultural state of Oaxaca.

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