People of the Mercado

Sergio Aragón Ramírez was born in San Antonio Arrazola, a small town in Oaxaca, México, where as a child, he roamed freely with friends through the surrounding fruit orchards and nearby creeks. Sergio’s parents made a living selling stone artisan crafts to tourists at nearby Monte Albán, the once-thriving Zapotec metropolis and one of the most significant archeological sites of Mesoamérica. In the early ’80s, San Antonio Arrazola became known as the Cradle of the Alebrijes, intricately painted copal wood carvings, first produced by artisan Manuel Jiménez. Sergio’s eldest brother, Ramiro, was the first in the Aragón family to create alebrijes, launching the multigenerational family business involving all seven siblings and their children. Sergio started in the industry by helping his brother paint the figurines after school. Later Sergio graduated to carving and soon developed his personal style. Sergio eventually devoted all of his time to alebrije making, sourcing the copal wood from sustainable farmers, and taking advantage of the thriving tourist economy.

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Sergio was content with his life as an artisan; he eventually married and had four children, Cesar, Kevin, Ruben, and Edson. Then, at the age of 29, when his eldest child was eight and the youngest eight months, fate bestowed Sergio the opportunity to migrate to the United States. Like many migrants, Sergio was conflicted about leaving everything he loved behind; however, the promise of a secure future for his family convinced him to make the sacrifice.

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At first, Sergio struggled to adapt to the drastic change between life in San Antonio Arrazola and the booming City of Los Angeles with its skyscrapers and vast freeways. Motivated to prevail, Sergio soon found employment in janitorial services, and despite long work days, he enrolled in English language and computer courses at North Hollywood Polytechnic Community Adult School. Sergio aimed to grow his family’s alebrije business, and he soon started using his new language skills to forge relationships with galleries and museums to sell his artwork. In 2006, when civil unrest in Oaxaca significantly impacted the tourist economy, Sergio became the conduit by which his family and others in his hometown continued to sell alebrijes in the United States to sustain their families.

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Today, Sergio continues to elevate the work of artisan families in his hometown and finds ways to create economic opportunities for them. A master painter, Sergio also teaches alebrije painting during festivals and celebrations, including the annual Day of the Dead festival at Mercado La Paloma. The family business and Sergio’s sacrifice of being apart from his children for 18 years has afforded the Aragón family the possibility to provide education to his children and the security of owning their own home in Oaxaca, where he hopes to retire one day.