Jacobo and María Ángeles are natives of San Martín Tilcajete, a town located about 14 miles from Oaxaca City, and located in the Central Valleys region in the state of Oaxaca, Mexico. After many years of working in the fields they developed skills in the tradition of carving wooden ‘tonas’ and ‘nuhales’, also known as ‘alebrijes’. In 1993 they established their workshop or taller, naming it Taller Jacobo y María Ángeles.
Over the years, they have built an international following for their unique style, the craftsmanship and beauty of their work and ability to recuperate Mexican Indigenous cultural practices. Their work is characterized by intricately carved wooden figures and masks featuring Zapotec iconography painted with colors derived from organic and natural pigments made in Oaxaca.