Carlos Barela was born in Taos, New Mexico. He is the eldest grandson of one of New Mexico's most famous woodcarvers, Patrocino Barela. Carlos is following in the footsteps of his "abuelo" by carrying on the tradition of carving Bultos and Santos out of a solid piece of wood. Juniper is the wood of choice for Carlos. He gathers the wood from canyon lands around the Taos area. All of Carlos's carvings are created by using hand tools, another tradition of …
Carlos Barela was born in Taos, New Mexico. He is the eldest grandson of one of New Mexico's most famous woodcarvers, Patrocino Barela. Carlos is following in the footsteps of his "abuelo" by carrying on the tradition of carving Bultos and Santos out of a solid piece of wood. Juniper is the wood of choice for Carlos. He gathers the wood from canyon lands around the Taos area. All of Carlos's carvings are created by using hand tools, another tradition of his grandfather's.
Carlo's work has gained national recognition through numerous museum shows. His evocative work is in the permanent collection at the Harwood Museum of Art in Taos, the Museum of Albuquerque, the Museum of International Folk Art and the Museum of Fine Art in Santa Fe. His work has received awards and ribbons from the Spanish Colonial Arts Society for his entries at the Spanish Market in Santa Fe. Other Museums where Carlos has shown his work include: the Millicent Rogers Museum of Taos, the Snite Museum of Notre Dame, the Mexican Museum in San Francisco, the Museo de Las Americas in Denver and the Museum of Man in San Diego.
"As a woodcarver, I form a partnership with nature. The wood speaks to me through its form, its shape and its grain. I release what's in the piece of wood; I don't dictate but rahter, manipulate its nature to achieve the spirit within."
