Oxala

I love this cute little art gallery. It had a sunny happy vibe to it, mostly attributed to the owner, Omar Valencia. He’s a positive friendly guy who was glad to chat about Pilsen and the art scene around town these days. You could tell that he was engrained in the community and really cares about keeping the cultural vibe going in his space. My friend and I stumbled upon this cute store/​gallery as were walking around the neighborhood, soaking up the Pilsen vibes. There was a cute handblown glass vase from Mexico in the store that I loved and had to have. Omar and I haggled and a bit and settled on a price we were both happy with. I was sad to read that he shut down his business to take care of his ailing mother back in their Columbia, their homeland. It is replaced by an equally cute vintage gallery now called Revival a Go-​Go. But I did read that Omar still has some of his art pieces in Lincoln Square at Morpho Gallery. While he will be missed, I have a feeling that Pilsen has yet to see more of Omar!

It really isn’t much of a Botanica. You walk in and a lot of things are not for sale. If the guy didn’t have candles burning, I would have thought it was a mini museum.

I was under the impression that Oxala was a botanica. The name «Oxala» was a bit misleading… lol Since Oxala is one of the orishas honored in the Candomblé tradition, I expected to find items in these traditions.
The gentleman who assisted me informed me that Oxala was a divinity in Santeria but this is erroneous. The Oxala counterpart in Santeria is Obatala.
They did have a few religious images but when I would ask for the prices, many of the items were not for sale. A vast assortment of folk art and surprisingly, some water colors on silk prints that were painted in-​house!
Very eclectic indeed! There were a few items that caught my eye but they were a bit overpriced. Definitely worth checking out if you’re in the area or if you happen to be into funky ethnic jewelry, apparel, and décor… with a twist!!!

Excellent artisanal jewelry, art and gifts at fair prices. The owner is very helpful and a great conversationalist (and haggler). I walked out with more than I had intended to, but hey: very nice tooled python cuffs, Colombian silver, watercolor Varga girls, natural soaps, incense, etc.
Overall: a very nice place to stop in Pilsen. Don’t expect to pay low prices, but do expect to walk out with some delightful stuff.

Compared to the other botanicas (Mexican shops with herbs, remedies, and religious/​spiritual goods) on 18^th Street, Oxala looks like a «Botanica Lite.» Instead of shelves crowded with every possible powder, oil, amulet, and candle you could imagine, Oxala has a small selection of products arranged carefully on glass shelves throughout the store. The walls are painted bright colors and are hung with original art. The owner has a desk in one corner of the store, and offers to answer any questions. In addition to the usual botanica goods, Oxala also carries handmade/​artsy jewelry, homemade lotions and soaps, and other odd little things, including a rack of embellished underpants.