Woodworking cannot be taken away from me even if I am deported.
Raul de Lara
At first glance, Raul de Lara’s sculptures appear as magical, realistic interpretations of plants and objects, often with a cheeky twist, all masterfully carved from wood. And while this read isn’t incorrect, de Lara’s work is so much more than whimsy. Each of his sculptures is undeniably infused with his unique perspective as a Mexican immigrant, whose family relocated to Texas when he was a child. The themes he explores in his sculptures are inextricably linked to his multicultural identity and DACA status, which he mines further in his upcoming solo show at The Contemporary Austin (on view September 12 through January 11).
Left: Como Las De Mi Tierra / Like The One’s Back Home – 2024, Walnut, Oak, Cedar, Polyx-Wax, Polyurethane, H: 108” X W: 84” X D: 36”; Right: Convirtiéndose / Becoming – 2023, Walnut, Cedar, Pine, Oak, Pigment, Urethane, Acrylic, Lacquer, H: 57” X D: 15” X W: 60”
The son of an architect and an interior designer, de Lara was raised within an abundance of creativity, working in his parents’ wood shop in Mexico, where he developed an extreme passion, appreciation, and mastery of materiality. De Lara now lives in New York City, with his studio in Queens. With his forthcoming solo exhibition in Austin around the corner, de Lara answered a few of my questions about his background, perspective, and the show below.
(Conversation lightly edited for length and clarity.)
How did your unique POV as an artist develop? What influences and factors do you attribute your artistic sensibility to?
I come from a family that believes in luck, ghosts, and bingo. From a young age, they taught me that materials, objects, and spaces hold energy, and how this energy can be utilized to create beautiful things if one is patient enough.
Growing up in my parents’ woodshop in Mexico introduced me to the world of woodworking. A world where each tool has its own language, each piece of wood shows the passing of time on its skin, and where one is able to communicate through their hands. I remember the first time I discovered glue—where two become one. I remember how my mother would always point out things for me to notice: the space where two materials meet, the texture of things, and seemingly distressed moments in materials, such as cracks or discoloration. Both my maternal and paternal families are creatives, including architects, casino decorators, engineers, and language professors, and they all had a part in my upbringing.
Once we arrived in the USA, aside from having to learn English, I spent eight years undocumented, serving tables at Mexican restaurants, as a competitive BMX rider, cake sculptor, hardware store associate, and working construction with my parents. Those experiences had a huge impact on my artistic sensibilities.
For Being Left-Handed – 2020; Self-Portrait, Pine, Chiclets Gum, Acrylic, Brass, Steel, Particle Board
H: 24” X D: 13” X W: 13”
My journey from México to the USA shaped my practice in ways that I am still slowly discovering today.
How does your Mexican upbringing and heritage influence your work?
Mexico is a country where people believe. Mexico has this ineffable quality of being able to perceive the hands that make a place and the pride of being able to keep things standing. Being born and raised in this type of setting gave me a deep appreciation for material dexterity, generational knowledge, and a weird sense of humor. I give myself and my work a fluidity that touches on many fields of study to express itself. My journey from México to the USA shaped my practice in ways that I am still slowly discovering today. Devoting my life to my artistic practice is an act of self-empowerment; woodworking cannot be taken away from me even if I am deported.
Cavale II – 2023, H:50” X W:64” X D:19”, Walnut, Cedar, Hemu, Hermés Saddle, Horse Hair, Lacquer, Pigment, Urethane
Can you reflect on the magical power of wood as a material? Clearly, you and wood have a love-love relationship. What is it about wood that fascinates you? What does wood offer you as a material that others don’t?
I love wood because wood is infinite. With the right skills, you can turn a chunk of wood into anything. I see myself as a storyteller via woodworking. I grew up in my dad’s woodshop in Mexico, seeing how a tree could become something magical. Mexico is a country that shows the hands of those who make it. I remember watching local craftsmen carve saints from branches, and wondering at what point in the carving process the ghost of the saint enters that piece of wood. I think about that in my work now, not in the religious sense, but in the way that woodworking can imbue a spark of life into seemingly non-living things.
Wood is infinite.
I never had formal training in woodworking, but I’ve learned through experience working in woodshops, teaching woodworking around the country, researching online, and surrounding myself with people who know how to make things. Through my research and practice, I strive to preserve, honor, and propel forward generational knowledge of wood in Mexican and American culture, while combining it with new technological developments. I recently started using virtual reality to design my sculptures before I get carving with traditional tools.
Lotion In Your Lungs – 2019, Pine, Oak, Wood Glue, Sand from Mexico/US Border, Acrylic, Lacquer, H: 72” X D: 24” X W: 50”
Much of your work depicts uncanny interpretations of objects and plants. Why are these themes you’re drawn to creating?
I see furniture and plants as our silent roommates. They get to silently witness our lives. When I am making a sculpture of a chair or plant, I strive to bring a sense of life into these works that will share indoor space with someone. Oftentimes, I use familiar objects as my way of starting a difficult conversation from a comfortable place for the viewer.
Left: La Union Hace la Fuerza – 2024, Walnut, Steel, Polyx-Wax, Polyurethane, H: 50” X D: 7” X W: 30”; Right: 20 Years Later / 20 Años Después – 2024, Walnut, Ash, Steel, Polyx-Wax. Polyurethane, H: 39” X D: 5” X W: 8
What messages are you hoping to communicate through your work?
My messages vary depending on the type of work I make. Some works are deeply autobiographical, offering my perspective and opinion on certain topics. Often, I share the traditions, beliefs, and charm of my Mexican culture.
At other times, I address my current DACA status and the injustices faced by immigrant communities. Other works are more abstract, seeking to create a sense of life and personality in seemingly non-animated materials like wood.
Soft Chair (M1) – 2023, H:31.5”: X W:25” X D:21”, Mesquite, Lacquer
Can you give a brief overview of your upcoming solo show at The Contemporary Austin? What makes this show special?
This exhibition is particularly special for me because Austin is where my family and I came when we left Mexico and immigrated to the United States. This is where my creative foundation was formed.
Learning English with a worldly cast of students, my days riding in the incredible local BMX community, working construction with my parents, working as a cake sculptor, serving tables at various Mexican restaurants, learning to drive tractors at my uncle’s hardware store, and eventually earning my BFA in Studio Art at the University of Texas at Austin. I now get to invite all the people I met during those formative years. It feels like a full-circle moment, and I couldn’t be happier to share it with this company.
I hope this show encourages people to reconsider how they perceive immigration and people who belong to more than one place.
The sculptures in the exhibition explore and challenge the idea of being from more than one place, and reexamine the idea of what an immigrant is in 2025. It’s guided by the central question: “Why can flowers be native to two countries but not people?” As someone who was undocumented for eight years and has been a DACA recipient for the last twelve years, I took this opportunity to amplify and represent our communities. Today’s America shows us that there is still so much more to learn from one another, and a need for mutual understanding and respect. I hope this show encourages people to reconsider how they perceive immigration and people who belong to more than one place.
Images courtesy of the artist.
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