7 singular pieces from the Natural History Museum’s folk art show

Intricate embroideries. Ornate chests made of silver. Wildly expressive masks, as well as figurines crafted from wood, clay and paper mache. A new exhibition at the Natural History Museum (NHM) in Los Angeles gathers more than 800 works by approximately 600 artisans from all over Latin America and the Iberian peninsula — and it is pretty darn mind-boggling.

"Grandes Maestros: Great Masters of Iberoamerican Folk Art," as the show is called, was organized by Fomento Cultural Banamex, the nonprofit cultural arm of the Mexican banking giant.

"This is art and it's important for people to get to know it," says Cándida Fernández de Calderón, who serves as director of the Fomento Cultural, and who organized the museum show. "What we're looking at is a mestizo [mixed race] tradition. It represents an explosion of traditions."

Which is to say the show is jampacked. (To its detriment, it can feel like an overstuffed craft market in parts.) Even so, it provides a compelling overview of works in a variety of materials and styles from 22 countries, including Mexico, Peru, Puerto Rico, Brazil, Portugal and Spain. And the subject matter? Well, that covers the range of human existence, from the religious to the ridiculous to the profane.

The exhibition puts a big spotlight on tradition. But there are some unusual pieces too. Here are seven not to miss:

A TRIO OF CHARMING LIONS

This congenial gathering of lions, situated near the entrance to the exhibit, caught my eye for their subject (lions aren't endemic to Latin America) and for their highly stylized manes. Plus, I just dug the way the one on the left appears to be smirking. They were crafted by a family from the Pernambuco region of Brazil: Manoel Gomes Da Silva (who made the figure on the left) and his son Marcos Borges Da Silva (who made the other two).

"I don't know where they got the design," Fernández says. "It's not something you see in that area. These almost look like Assyrian lions. But it shows you how open to the world artisans are when it comes to exploring ideas."

A DRAMATIC CANDELABRA

The works in clay featured in the exhibition are voluminous, encompassing a wide range of decorative, religious and household objects — from quaint scenes that depict riotous village parties to vessels that function as art. This elaborate candelabra is a show-stopper, made by Manuel Jerónimo Reyes in 2000 in Santa Fe de la Laguna, in the Mexican state of Michoacán.

"It is such a beauty," says Fernández. "In that area, they will often make pieces like this in really large sizes, up to 1 meter [more than 3 feet] tall. The clay is shaped, then painted black and then glazed. The images they depict are always really cheerful: birds, flowers, trees. They are cheerful even if they are dark."

SWIRLING PATTERNS THAT FEEL CONTEMPORARY

One of the more remarkable aspects of the show is that it serves as a reminder that folk art is as modern as any contemporary art. This round jar, fabricated by María Magdalena Manzanares, of the Goascorán Valley in Honduras, is a terrific example of that. It features a repeating abstract motif made with two different colors of clay. "These often serve as decorative objects," says Fernández. "You will go into a home and see them in groupings. It's a beautiful technique."

DOLLS WITH A RELIGIOUS PURPOSE

It's not everyday you get to see an unfinished sculpture of the Virgin Mary, which is why these terrific carved wooden figures pack such a punch. They are simple renderings of a woman wearing white garments and simple leather sandals. But the pained look on each of the figures' faces hints at the sadness that lies ahead. The effect is of a deity made human. They are the creation of José Sabas Gómez Pacas, an artisan from Central America.

"These pieces could be contemporary art," says Fernández. "It's an articulated Virgin Mary figure made by a sculptor from a tiny town in El Salvador. These haven't been sacralized, so as not to offend. But they are an excellent example of the type of the fine work that is produced in settings that can be quite modest."

A PICASSO-ESQUE MASK

"This is a very atypical design," Fernández says of this powerful clay mask made by María Jose Pereira, of Minas Gerais, Brazil, in 2008. "In this area of Brazil, what you typically see in terms of clay works is imagery of village life, fiestas, gatherings. So this piece really stands out. It stops and makes you think: has she had some dialogue with artists from another sphere? Once again, it gets at the tremendous openness that many folk artists have to the influences around them."

GOYA IN PAPER MACHE

This dramatic scene, crafted out of newspaper, is a three-dimensional depiction of Francisco de Goya's famous painting "The 3rd of May 1808 in Madrid." It was made in 2010 by Elbio Gutiérrez, a Madrid artisan known for scenes that show dancers, street and village life plus other human figures. "There's an incredible effect that goes on with that piece," Fernández says. "The way in which he allows the paint to fade and the newspaper shines through."

GEOMETRIC WEAVINGS

A long hall at the end of the exhibit is stuffed with textiles, including ponchos, shawls, tablecloths and brightly embroidered huipiles, the garment worn by indigenous women in Mexico and Central America. But this incredible serape, or shawl, is one of the standouts — woven in 2007 by Ramón Gutierrez Ruiz, in Teotitlán del Valle, in the southern Mexican state of Oaxaca.

"This one is done in the Saltillo style," explains Fernández, referring to the geometric pattern that contains the diamond-shaped "eye of God" design. "What makes this piece so incredible is the fine quality of the wool. Often, the patterns come out looking a little bulkier. But in working with a much finer thread, the weaver was able to create a more refined design. And it's all colored with wool and colored natural dyes. It's a very intensive process."

"You can go to his studio in Teotitlán and see works like this," she adds. "This is an art that is alive. These are traditions that remain. By getting people interested in it, acquiring it, giving it a little bit of appreciation, you can help change the life of an artisan. In the meantime, you preserve a tradition."

"Grandes Maestros: Great Masters of Iberoamerican Folk Art" opens on Sunday and continues through September 13 at the Natural History Museum, 900 Exposition Blvd., University Park, Los Angeles, nhm.org.

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