‘MITLA BENCH’ - black - two sided

by Sabino Guisu, Oaxaca, Mexico

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THE MITLA BENCH - black, by Sabino Guisu (Oaxaca, Mexico), is crafted from black oak. This monumental 4-metre bench draws inspiration from the stepped-fret motifs (grecas escalonadas) of Mitla, the renowned Zapotec archaeological site in Oaxaca. The elevated end pieces of the bench reinterpret these geometric patterns in a contemporary form, transforming an ancient architectural language into a functional object.

More than a decorative reference, the Mitla motif serves as a symbol of continuity, connection, and the organization of space. Balancing sculpture and furniture, the bench invites both contemplation and use, reflecting the artist’s interest in objects that carry cultural memory while remaining fully engaged with the present. Through its refined craftsmanship and powerful geometry, the piece creates a dialogue between ancestral knowledge and contemporary design.

Sabino Guisu (b. 1986, Juchitán, Oaxaca) is a multidisciplinary artist whose practice is deeply rooted in Zapotec heritage and Indigenous cosmology. Working across painting, music, and contemporary art, he explores themes of cultural memory, transformation, social justice, and ecology. Drawing on ancestral knowledge, mythology, and the rich symbolism of Oaxaca, Guisu reinterprets traditional narratives through a contemporary lens, creating works that bridge past and present while activating new dialogues around identity, ritual, and the sacred.