rthur Lopez is one of the leading santos carvers in New Mexico.  This piece is one of his more complex carvings, with multiple layers.  It is entitled, “Nuestra Señora de Candelarias”. It has Our Lady of Candelaria depicted as a Black Madonna set on a podium. She is set in a sculpted backdrop painted in a traditional New Mexico style.

Arthur said of this piece;

The Virgin of Candelaria celebrates the Virgin Mary on the island of Tenerife, one of the Canary Islands (Spain). The center of worship is located in the city of Candelaria in Tenerife. Our Lady of Candelaria is depicted as a Black Madonna. The “Royal Basilica Marian Shrine of Our Lady of Candelaria” (Basilica of Candelaria), is considered the main church dedicated to the Virgin Mary in the Canary Islands. She is the patron saint of the Canary Islands. Her feast is celebrated on February 2 with a Candle Mass.  Parishioners can bring candles to this Mass to have them blessed for use at home throughout the year. The Catholic Company explains that candles are symbolic of the incarnate Christ. “The beeswax is a symbol of his pure body, the wick his soul and the flame his divinity.”  Día de la Candelaria is a follow-up to the festivities of Día de Los Reyes, on January 6th, when children receive gifts and family and friends break bread together. The bread has a baby figurine hidden inside.

The process for Arthur’s work is bound in tradition.  After the piece is carved, is covered in gesso (a glue made from rabbit hide) which is allowed to dry and then sanded.  It is painted with both natural and watercolor pigments.  Natural colored pigments, such as brown, are derived from black walnut hulls.   These are the time involved and historic foundations for his work.  

We are pleased to present this amazing body of work from one of the leading Santos artists in the country.  Arthur’s artistic expression continues to break through the history of Traditional Spanish Colonial art in New Mexico. Each piece demonstrates his expressive ideas utilizing and honoring traditional techniques to arrive at his uniquely contemporary one of a kind creations. Consistently Arthur has pushed the boundaries of the New Mexico Santero tradition that has placed him a the forefront of his craft.

Arthur’s work is found in numerous museum and public collections, including Albuquerque Museum of Art & History,  Denver Art Museum,  Freedom Museum (911 Memorial at Ground Zero), Harwood Museum of Art, Museum of International Folk Art,  Museum of Spanish Colonial Art, and the State of New Mexico Permanent Art Collection.