This city in the highlands of southern Mexico is a hotbed for graphic artists and many specialize in street art, so urban hiking on these cobblestone streets offers no end of surprises. It's one of my favourite things to do on a sunny morning, and during the winter months they're all sunny here.
You can learn a bit about the background story of the artwork if you sign up for a walking tour, or if you want to bump along, you can take a bicycle art tour. I've explored the city enough over the years that I'd rather wander on my own and find new creativity wherever it pops up. Maybe next year I'll take a tour and get the full story, but more than likely I'll just keep meandering on my own.
The artworks are brushed, spray-painted, pasted or stencilled. The subjects are fanciful or political, historical or purely decorative and always colourful.
Many make use of symbols. The number 43 below, always refers to the missing indigenous students who vanished in 2014 on their way to a peaceful protest in the state of Guerrero. They ran into police and were never seen again. The official investigation claimed they were killed by a drug cartel but many people are still demanding answers and justice.
When my Oaxacan friend Alejandra saw this photo she told me the woman walking on the street was her mother, who I had never met. I would have rushed over to chat with her and practise my spanish if I had known.
You can imagine the translation... or read it below.
I love this photo below of Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera that I took the night before we flew home last January 2020. It's such an unusual picture of them, and all the more striking with the glare of the streetlight on the yellow wall and the black and white silhouettes of the men chatting.
The musicians started to move away when they saw I was taking the photo, but I asked them to stay. Minutes later their bus came and they were gone.
This yellow-faced character was our neighbor last year when we rented the top floor of the yellow building for a month. The open door led to a cute 1-bedroon apartment and a rooftop terrace. The floor was uneven and the kitchen was minimal, but the mexican charm made up for it all. We put up with a few inconveniences because the best little coffee shop and fabulous restaurants were just minutes away.
Jorge Negrete and Pedro Infante, the two biggest stars from the Golden Age of Mexican movies.
The surprises in the street go on and on, and change from year to year. They're one of the many pleasures of my favourite city in Mexico.
Street art is a growing trend all over the world. The next time you travel, if we're all lucky enough for that to happen, give a little extra attention to these outdoor art galleries and enjoy the surprises that give so much character and vitality to neighbourhoods.
