One of the many joys of living in Oaxaca is the city's dazzling, colorful street art. Just walking from our apartment to a restaurant down the street gives us an amazing look at more than 30 incredible works of art. And the total number in the city must be in the thousands.
Public art is everywhere in Oaxaca — on the streets in temporary installments, a near infinite variety of artistic crafts for sale in markets, stores and workshops all over the Oaxaca Valley and in the many art galleries in the city center.
The murals tell stories, register protest, recall history and bring indigenous religion and mythology to life.
Rebels, critics and insurgents who have spoken out or fought against repression are plainly memorialized. The iconography of pre-hispanic mythology is everywhere — skeletons and the content of the Aztec afterlife — hummingbirds and spirit guide dogs. And the beauty of indigenous clothing and traditions make up blazingly colorful murals all over the city. Some murals exist to decorate businesses like shops, restaurants and bars.
Every time we return to Oaxaca, dozens more have been painted. Because of all those incredible murals, Oaxaca is a fascinating place to just walk around.
In short, the murals reflect the thoughts, feelings, anxieties and fever-dreams of this amazing city.
