Octavio Coria — Spirit in Wood

LYRICAL ECHO VOICE

1. Goddess of the Grain

2. Rising from Mesquite

3. Touch from the Eternal

4. She Who Breathes in Wood

5. Reverence Carved

She rises from the heart of mesquite, her form shaped by time and hand. Curves of back and breast

emerge like secrets whispered through the grain, a spirit called forth from the hardness of wood. Arms

lifted, head tilted skyward, she carries the grace of both prayer and arrival. Each polished surface

catches light as if skin and tree had merged into one body.

To stand before her is to enter an ancient dialogue between nature and devotion. The sculpture

breathes with reverence, inviting touch as a way of seeing. She is both figure and forest, presence and

material — a goddess given voice in the language of wood.

Title Options:

Three Voices, One Artwork

CURATOR'S VOICE

Title Options:

1. Resin in Reverence

2. Mesquite Figure #1

3. Icon of Devotion

4. Ascendant Form

5. Carved Ascension

DESIGN WHISPER VOICE

1. Presence in Balance

2. Earthbound Grace

3. Feminine Presence

4. The Living Goddess

5. Spirit in Wood

Title Options:

Carved from mesquite, this sculpture embodies both strength and tenderness. The figure rises with

arms lifted, curves of back and breast flowing directly from the grain of the wood. Each chisel mark refines the form without erasing its origin, allowing the material to speak alongside the figure it reveals.The surface carries warmth, a tactile invitation to see through touch.

In a designed space, Goddess of the Grain becomes a statement of presence. Placed in an entrywayon a pedestal, or illuminated with focused lighting, it introduces reverence for the feminine into thehome. Its dark wood finish harmonizes with stone, textiles, or minimalist palettes, grounding interiorswith an elemental anchor. More than an object, it functions as a focal point of dignity and grace, transforming the room into a space of timeless respect

This hand-carved mesquite sculpture presents a female figure in a pose of uplifted arms and upward gaze. The artist emphasizes volume through curvature, allowing natural grain patterns to dictate the flow of the body’s surface. The polished finish heightens tactility, encouraging the viewer to experience form not only visually but through imagined touch.

Goddess of the Grain reflects the sculptural tradition of working directly with the resistance of hardwood. Its process — requiring over a year and the breaking of chisels — underscores both material challenge and artistic persistence. The result is an object that blurs boundaries between artifact and presence, standing as both homage to the feminine and testament to the endurance of craft.