Arthur Lopez is one of the leading Santos carvers in New Mexico.  This piece is entitled, “The Sweetest Fruit”.  The piece depicts the expulsion of Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden.  Arthur has carved an apple with a piece missing.  Inside the apple are the three figures, each highly detailed in carving and painting.  Check out the background of the inside of the apple!  Arthur has painted a New Mexico landscape across the background!  The apple is realistically painted and there is a wooden leaf on the stem.  Extending out from the top of the apple is a worn the the “serpent”, with a metal tongue.  The piece is exceptional in detail and tells its story within a three-dimensional context.  Amazing!

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 by 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.  Most recently he received the New Mexico Governor’s Award for the Arts in 2022!