For master craftsman Isaac Laboy Moctezuma, the monument to the cacique Mabodamaca in Isabela is “a symbol of what we are; We are, and many people deny it, reject it, hide it, put it under the rug, sweep it aside, but they cannot deny it.”
This is exactly what the 69-year-old sculptor from Quebradilla wanted to capture in the work commissioned by the Municipality of Isabela, commissioned more than two decades ago, on a hillside of Avenida Noel Estrada, next to Carr. PR-2 of, this parish was carved. .
“The work is iconographic. The work is idiosyncratic. In other words, people tell me, “I have this Indian in my heart, in my head.” That’s what you want,” the veteran carver explained.
Laboy, who just won the prestigious Ward Museum carving competition at the University of Salisbury in Maryland in 2021, said there are many who have learned that it was he who carved the giant sphinx of the only cacique who made it was not The book captured by the Spanish colonists insisted on its authorship.
Monument by Isaac Laboy in honor of his parents. (XAVIER GARCIA)“I’ve seen historians argue that this belongs to the Taino. When originally made it was exactly what was intended. First the style, rustic, Taino style. “You couldn’t make an eye how it’s done now,” he said.
Although the face of the Indian in Isabela is probably the best-known example of his work, his work has traveled the world throughout his long career as an artisan, which Laboy Moctezuma says began when he was a child. The works are now in important places such as the Vatican’s John Paul II Collection, which includes the approximately 60 cm high carved wooden piece “The Baptism of Jesus”, which depicts the encounter between the Messiah and his cousin John represents the Baptist. According to Laboy, the piece was given to him by a delegation of Puerto Ricans who presented it to the Pope at the honoring of Carlos Manuel Rodríguez as the first blessed Puerto Rican.
The carver also counts the “La Dulce Espera” collection among his works. It is a xiloteca made from over 100 precious woods from all over the world, the central theme of which is the pregnant Virgin Mary. The collection — each piece is made from a different unfinished wood and designed to highlight the characteristics of that particular wood — is located in the state of Florida, where it was part of an exhibit that was postponed due to the pandemic, but isn’t expected to be scheduled anytime soon becomes.
Laboy Moctezuma’s craftsmanship began early in his life with his grandfather, Pablo Moctezuma, who was dedicated to making cordage from vines of the Emajagua tree. From there he began to develop himself in the art of cordage and it was not long before he diversified his work by making baskets, hats and belts (wickerwork).
He continued experimenting with other materials such as fig, bamboo and coconut until he finally started out as a sawyer, which eventually led him to carving. He recalled trying marble after wood and going from there.
The artist masters a total of 11 craft disciplines. The master craftsman offers carving classes at the University of Turabo in Caguas and free craft workshops.
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