Axolotl Copal Wood Axolotl Alebrije from Mexico Alejandra Torres By working directly with the

By working directly with the communities

he cuts out the image and hammers it into low relief

working with Balinese silversmiths and jewelry crafters

kraft paper

Ivan Martinez in Mexico crafts the planter from ceramic and paints it by hand with colorful floral motifs

Axolotl Copal Wood Axolotl Alebrije from Mexico Alejandra Torres By working directly with theJesus and Roxana recreate the axolotl, one of Mexico's rarest and most iconic creatures, in colorful alebrije form. They hand carve it from copal wood and decorate its body with joyful geometric patterns in a palette of saffron yellow, dark green, bright red, and purple. The axolotl's gills are detached for safe and easy transport. Jesus and Roxana come from a Zapotec community in Oaxaca where a large number of the residents work crafting alebrijes.