Xuana Fabian Family

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We're the Xuana Fabian Family from a small town in Oaxaca. Like many other artisans here, we transform natural copal wood into the fantastical creatures known as alebrijes. It's a family tradition for us and our father began teaching us this art form when we were children.

Our father, Justo Xuana, gladly shared his knowledge and the pleasure in this precious Mexican folk art. We love the idea of waking up with a design in mind, then interpreting it in a beautiful sculpture. The challenge in this art is very satisfying.

"As a family, we find some of our most compelling inspiration in music, nature and books. These are tools for us to let our imagination soar. And they help us contemplate what we want to want to create and how to do it. This gives us a connection with the copal and we love it!

"As artisan's sons just learning the craft, we've grown better and better with practice. Our father taught us the fundamentals for whatever we wanted to make and there was no better teacher.

"Our most important material is the wood of the copal tree, which flourishes in this part of our extensive country. It is a soft wood that lets us create a precise and beautiful image. This has led us to learn to preserve this wonderful tree in the region, so we support planting these trees year after year.

"Working together as a family lets us rely on the support of each one of us who has inherited our father's art. He loved his work.

"We want to share our alebrijes and their meaning with more people, share them as a family with imagination.