Santos of Northern New Mexico, Wood Carvings & Contemporary Sculpture

Beautiful, spiritually-inspired carvings of the Salazar family

Because it’s the Christmas holiday, a season steeped in tradition, reflection, and sacred art, I wanted to highlight a wood carver whose work speaks directly to that spirit. His hand-carved saints echo centuries of craftsmanship and devotion, reminding us of the enduring role faith and artistry play during this time of year. Sharing his work felt like a fitting way to honor both the holiday and the stories it carries.

Leo G. Salazar is the patriarch of a family of wood carving artisans in New Mexico with work in several galleries and museum permanent collections, including the Hispanic Cultural Center in Albuquerque, the Millicent Rogers Museum in Taos and the Museum of International Art in Santa Fe, New Mexico. I recently had the privilege of laying eyes on his beautiful craft while at Jones Walker Taos (stop by and visit if you are in the area, Max is a wonderful host) and I am STILL thinking about the beautiful sculpture I saw there!

Leo began carving cedar wood saints in his backyard when he was a thirty-something without a studio. In order to capture the best possible light, his work station would alternate with the seasons - a tin storage shed with a wood stove in winter or in summer months beneath the shell of a pickup camper propped up on plywood stilts.

Faith in God has influenced this family's art through several generations. His sculpture frequently uses cedar, which is considered a spiritual wood by ancient people and is an important medium through which these carvers express their love for God. And his process of working with pieces cradled in his lap has remained the same even after his work received higher demand.

When you encounter one of the carved santos by Leo Salazar, you are holding far more than an object. The grain of the wood, the marks of the hand, and the quiet presence of the figure carry character, reverence—for God and for the material itself—and a beauty that cannot be repeated.

Each santo bears the patience of its making and the humility of devotion, shaped slowly, attentively, into a form that feels both earthly and holy.