Patricio Santiago
Sculptor + Artisan + Designer
Patricio & Iván. Two Brothers, One Vision
One event changed their lives forever. The lost of their beloved father marked their paths and rejoined their destiny to keep working together and supporting each other. Iván in the family business and Patricio in the artsy aspect of their project.
Born in 1982 in Magdalena Apasco, Oaxaca, Mexico, Patricio Santiago is a fourth-generation stone sculptor who has merged traditional craftsmanship with contemporary design. He studied Graphic Design at Universidad Mesoamericana and has developed a unique sculptural and artisanal style influenced by pre-Hispanic aesthetics and Mexican modernism.
Patricio’s work has been exhibited in over 68 collective and individual exhibitions across Mexico and the United States, including venues such as the Oaxaca International Airport, the Museum of Oaxacan Archaeology “Ervin Frissell”, and the Leopoldo Batres Gallery at Mitla Archaeological Zone.
He has received multiple awards, including the State Prize of Popular Art, Oaxaca (2018, 2021, 2022), and the National Lapidary and Stone Carving Award, Querétaro (2019). His collaborations include projects with prominent Mexican and Japanese artists such as Jorge González Velázquez and Madoka Furuhashi, blending stone carving with contemporary art installations.
Solo Exhibitions
- 2025 “Palacio Nacional”, Medellín, Colombia
- 2025 “Western New Mexico University”, Silver City, New Mexico, USA
- 2025 “MUSAC, Museo de San Cristóbal de las Casas”, Chiapas, Mexico
- 2025 “MEAPO, Museo Estatal de Arte Popular de Oaxaca”, Oaxaca, Mexico
- 2025 “MAP, Museo de Arte Popular”, Mexico City, Mexico
- 2025 “Design Week”, Museo Nacional de Antropología, Mexico City, Mexico
- 2024 “Oaxaca International Airport”, Oaxaca, Mexico
- 2020 “Ervin Frissell Oaxacan Museum of Archaeology”, Oaxaca, Mexico
- 2019 “Leopoldo Batres Gallery”, Mitla Archaeological Zone, Oaxaca, Mexico
- 2019 “Site Museum”, Monte Albán Archaeological Zone, Oaxaca, Mexico
- 2018 “25 Years of SEDESOL”, Edificio Xicoténcatl, Mexico City, Mexico
- 2018 “ProMéxico, La Calera”, Oaxaca, Mexico
- 2018 “Oaxaca Convention Center”, Oaxaca, Mexico
Biennials
- 2025 “Arte/Sano Entre Artistas 8.0”, Museo de Arte Popular, Mexico City, Mexico
- 2023 “Arte/Sano Entre Artistas 7.0”, Museo de Arte Popular, Mexico City, Mexico
Taller Maestros Canteros
Founded in 1990 in Magdalena Apasco Etla, Oaxaca, Mexico, the Taller Maestros Canteros (Master Stonecarvers Workshop) continues a centuries-old Oaxacan lapidary tradition. Created by master sculptor Odilón Santiago Martínez and revitalized in 2015 by designer Patricio Santiago Paz, the workshop blends ancestral stone-carving knowledge with contemporary design, preserving the history, techniques, and traditions of the communities that safeguard the wisdom of Mexico’s popular art.
In 2021, Iván Santiago Paz, Patricio’s brother, joined the workshop. He has since become one of its pillars, currently managing the studio and leading its architectural stonework projects.
Its artisans specialize in hand-carved quarry, marble, and onyx sculptures, using traditional tools such as the hammer and chisel. Each piece carries the deep symbolic weight of pre-Hispanic culture and celebrates the craftsmanship that built much of Oaxaca’s historic architecture — now recognized as UNESCO World Heritage.
Today, the Taller serves as both a creative studio and a living archive of Oaxaca’s artisanal legacy, transforming stone into works that reflect emotion, heritage, and timeless artistry.
All artworks sold through Altar Aqua Studio include a Certificate of Authenticity. The digital certificate is delivered to the buyer’s email once the purchase has been completed with 100% payment, typically within 3–5 business days. The physical certificate can be collected at our studio within 30 business days of purchase.
A Certificate of Authenticity (COA) verifies that the artwork is original and created by the named artist. It includes essential details such as the artist’s name, title, date, medium, and dimensions, and may also include an image of the piece. The COA is signed by the artist or the authorized gallery representing them.