Raymundo won first prize in woodcarving in FOFA’s 2008 young artists’ competition with his remarkable piece, “Zapotec Warrior.” He likes to imagine the past, when humans lived in harmony with nature, and believes this attitude should continue. Through “Zapotec Warrior,” he calls for greater protection for animals that are in danger of extinction, such as the eagle and the jaguar. They signify vision and power in his Zapotec land. In creating this work the configuration of the trunk dictated Raymundo’s artistic path. In the wood he saw the warrior protected by a shield decorated with Monte Albán filigree, a jaguar behind its foot and an eagle in its hands. The piece is not painted because the artist prefers the natural color of wood.
