Casa de los Venados is a private home and contemporary folk art museum in Valladolid. John and Dorianne Venator claim to be the largest private folk art museum in Mexico. Their home itself is a 400 year old, renovated hacienda expanded to 18,000 square feet and filled with some of the quirkiest custom art we have seen.
The day we went to their house, the Venators had about two dozen visitors on the daily morning tour. Our bi-lingual guide told us of the Venators’ penchant for commissioned art that reflected folk art themes with a personal twist.
This game table is inspired by American turn-of-the-century bull-dog art with a Mexican skeleton theme. The table top and chair seats and backs are a combination of Mexican outlaws and Gringo-ish skeletons playing a game of cards, some smoking cigars.
There is a Frida Kahlo room and a Diego Rivera room.
I love the Frida Kahlo pinata.
Venados means “deer” so Casa de los Venados translates as “the house of the deer.” As one might expect a plethora of antlers are found here mounted on the most unlikely of noggins.
There is religious themed art combined with skeletons giving a macabre feeling of the sacred and profane.
Masks abound. Here are two favorites.
The art runs that line between folk and kitch.
We thoroughly enjoyed the house, the folk art, the tour and the Venators who were there to personally greet every guest. People collect amazing things.
MedFlies 