By Alex Ruelas

This article is part of our Destination Guide to Tulum.

Dreaming in feathers

Tulum is famous for having almost too many art shops and galleries. A quick Google search will give you an idea of the sheer number of options. However, one that stands out is Balam Art On Feathers. Located halfway between the beach and the town center, it specializes in the fascinating craft of feather painting. This technique, originated by Maya artists, uses plumage of different birds as canvases to depict spectacular landscapes, endemic animals, and even human portraits.

Local artists from Baca, a minute town a few miles northeast of Mérida in the neighboring state of Yucatán, paint these beautiful compositions. Each one is handmade, using high-quality oil pigments and feathers obtained from peacocks, turkeys, and ducks without harming the animals. Once inside their rustic wooden frames, the pieces are perfect for decorating any space and taking a slice of Tulum to other corners of the world.

A museum from another world

Of all the cultural venues in the region, Sfer Ik is possibly the most bewitching. This otherworldly contemporary art museum was built as an artwork itself, where the architecture radically transforms the relationship between art and its physical environment. 

As they stroll through the halls and corridors made of cement and endemic wood, visitors slowly discover the dreamlike structure. Using multisensory stimuli, it encourages pieces to be made on-site and has inspired world-renowned artists such as Ernesto Neto and Artur Lescher to create pieces that are now part of a semi-permanent exhibition

The gallery was originally conceived by Roth, self-taught architect and founder of Azulik, who defines the style of the building as organic architecture, where structures forgo traditional straight lines to imitate the winding, interconnected forms of nature. 

Currently, Sfer Ik has two locations. The first and perhaps best-known is within Azulik Tulum, right at the start of Tulum’s hotel zone. The second, Sfer Ik Uh May, is some 25 kilometers northeast of the city, en route to the archeological site of Coba. Usually, both are open to the public and receive visitors free of charge. However, Sfer Ik Uh May remains closed for the time being.

Art is in the streets

Ivanna Fredes came to Tulum six years ago and immediately made it her home. “There was a timelessness to this town. It was like someone had just allowed me to start over”, says the visual artist and interior designer who is transforming spaces with a style of art she describes as “surrealist scenography”, one that immediately makes you feel inside a Van Gogh painting. 

Today, she’s part of a community to which she contributes with her immersive murals and paintings. “When I left school, I felt a bit uneasy about the fact that art was not usually experienced by people outside of the so-called ‘art world’. That has always been my challenge, to find ways to get people involved in all this”. 

What she came up with was a blend of Mexican and European techniques she uses to “strip places of their normalcy” and even bring quotidian objects back to life. Her favorite work is a batch of bikes she was commissioned to decorate in her unique fashion. “People look so happy on those when I see them driving by”, she remarks.

But why do it here? “Tulum’s a special place for artists for many reasons. On the one hand, you have amazing natural places where you can go and seek inner peace. On the other, there is such a vibrant mix of people with the most eccentric and interesting characters, everyone on their own journey. It’s a blend of stories, races, languages, religions, all coexisting to keep things far from conventional”, she says.

That is also what captured Aldana Gómez, who, after four years of traveling around Latin America, arrived here at an unplanned stop and decided to put her backpack down for a minute. That was eight years ago. 

Through her brand NanumöArt, Aldana fuses art and fashion design to make extraordinary hats, necklaces, bracelets, and other pieces decorated with semiprecious stones from Mexico and other parts of the world. “Every piece is a form of personal expression. During my time in Tulum, I have grown both as a person and as an artist. These are reflections of that journey”, she comments.

Aldana now sells her work in boutiques around town and artisan fairs, a great way to find unique pieces made by local artists. “You can find all kinds of artworks. It’s a fantastic way to find top-notch craft made by people from Tulum and nearby villages”.

So, what’s the best way to explore Tulum’s art scene? Well, it’s probably to walk. According to Ivanna, that’s the only way to get a real feel of this town’s spirit. “Walk. Ask people for recommendations. Appreciate the murals and the decorations of everyday spaces. Artists are not just in galleries and museums, but on the streets. No matter how often you go out looking for something new, you will always find someone painting”.