The Matisse of Oaxacan Woodcarving: New Works by Jesus Sosa
There is a passage in Shepard Barbash's landmark book Oaxacan Woodcarving: The Magic in the Trees (Chronicle Books) where the reader first encounters Jesus Sosa — not as a footnote, but as a fully realized character in the living story of a folk art tradition. Barbash documented a world of carvers in the villages of the Oaxacan valleys, and Sosa emerged from those pages as one of its most singular voices: a man whose relationship with copal wood was less craft than conversation.
Decades later, that conversation has only deepened.
We are proud to present the newest gallery additions from maestro Jesus Sosa, each piece a testament to why collectors and curators alike have come to regard him as the Matisse of Oaxacan Woodcarving — an artist whose command of color, form, and joyful abstraction places him in a category entirely his own.
The New Arrivals
Naquichi Owl — $139
A white owl emerges from the snowy night — its body a constellation of polychromatic splatter, its single outstretched wing a masterwork of radiating color bands in cobalt, crimson, gold, and magenta. Sosa's polychromatic plumage work here is painstaking: each color choice a quiet declaration. Like Matisse's cut-outs, the Naquichi Owl achieves maximum expressiveness through apparent simplicity. Medium, approx. 5½" deep × 5½" tall.
Motlaloua Toad — $139
Bounding through scorched terrain in vibrant amber-orange, this toad is pure sculptural grace. Its body is a field of bold black polka dots — a pattern so confident it reads almost as abstraction — while the face erupts in jewel-toned purple, gold, and black. Sosa's refined contours and whimsical spirit merge into a composition that is understated yet alive. Single piece carving, approx. 6" wide × 5" deep.
Fundidu Gato — $159
Perhaps no piece in this new collection better illustrates Sosa's signature sensibility than the Fundidu Gato. A silver cat reclines with aristocratic ease, its body a field of black amoeba dots, its face a Cubist explosion of orange, purple, blue, and magenta — Sosa's iconic painted visage at its most theatrical. The graceful looping tail completes a silhouette that is instantly, unmistakably his. For the discerning collector, it is simply essential. Medium-Large, approx. 8½" L × 6½" tall. Features a removable tail.
Llanuras Sapo — $139
Sun-soaked and bursting with personality, the Llanuras Sapo stretches languidly in golden yellow, its body covered in warm ochre ovals that seem to absorb the Oaxacan light. The face — a swirl of violet, teal, and red — tilts skyward with an almost meditative expression. Its organically refined silhouette and expressive character are hallmarks of Sosa at his most playful. Single piece carving, approx. 6" L × 4½" tall.
Tsotsona Liebre — $129
Caught between reality and reverie, this hare carries an almost mythical presence. Its white body is mapped in bold black dots of varying scale — a visual rhythm that suggests both stillness and coiled energy — while the towering teal-and-orange ears reach skyward like antennae tuned to another frequency. Sosa's meticulously rendered facial geometry and signature tapered form suggest movement frozen in time. Two removable ears. Medium, approx. 5½" L × 5½" tall.
Nijneki Burro — $179
A Zapotec wishing burro in full gallop across a midnight-black field alive with swirling rainbow amoebas — red, blue, yellow, green, magenta — each one a burst of pure chromatic joy. This is Sosa at his most cosmological, conveying the very spirit of the copal tree through a visual language so personal it functions as its own dialect. The amoeba motif here is not decoration; it is the subject itself. Large, approx. 9" L × 6" tall. Removable tail.
Circinus Burro — $179
Gracefully poised in deep cobalt blue, the Circinus Burro is a masterclass in sculptural brilliance. The signature amoeba patterning that has made Sosa's work unparalleled within Oaxacan woodcarving is on full display — a visual language so refined that it stands as its own artistic statement. This is the piece that reminds you why Sosa was worth documenting in the first place. Medium-Large, approx. 6" L × 7" tall. Removable tail.
A Living Legacy
Barbash's book captured a moment. What Jesus Sosa has done in the years since is prove that the tradition it documented was not a snapshot but a seed. His work continues to grow — in ambition, in refinement, in the quiet confidence of an artist who has nothing left to prove and everything still left to say.
Each of these pieces is hand-carved from prized copal wood, sanded to a porcelain finish, painted entirely by hand, and signed by the artist. Each is a one-of-a-kind original, originating from the village of San Martín Tilcajete. Museum grade. Irreplaceable.