About The Artist

Master weaver Wenceslao Martinez draws upon his Zapotec textile lineage and a lifetime of weaving experience to create contemporary tapestries from hand-spun, hand-dyed churro wool. Wence elevates basic materials and ancient processes using traditional looms and his own unique designs to create singular art pieces.

His work can be found in collections at the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian, Washington D.C., the National Museum of Mexican Art, Chicago, Il. and the Museum of Wisconsin Art, West Bend, WI.

“My life at the loom combines the weaving heritage of my birthplace, Teotitlán del Valle, Oaxaca, Mexico, with my formal training in Mexico City. I spent my childhood roaming local mountains, shepherding, and developing a love for the natural world. Tonal variations inherent to undyed wool and desert landscapes continue to fascinate me today.

While immersed in traditional patterns of my Zapotec culture, I began training as a weaver at age nine with my father and grandfather. Five years later a scholarship allowed me to study weaving in Mexico City under Bertha and Pedro Preux at Taller Nacional de Tapiz. There, I embraced weaving as fine art and learned Gobelins, natural and aniline dyeing techniques. Using traditional looms and Oaxacan hand spun wool, I work to elevate basic materials and ancient processes.

My own designs investigate images, pattern and color beyond Zapotec tradition. One of my greatest joys as a steward of my village’s legacy is mentoring the next generation of weavers in Teotitlán. Through mentoring I am able to give back by collaborating with a team of weavers to expand the Studio lineage.”‍ ‍