All about the Oaxacan Alebrijes

100% Mexican crafts 

If you visited Mexico and among your souvenirs you took some craft in the shape of a pig with wings or a dog with six legs and that is also painted in many colors, but you don't know what it is... It's about the famous alebrijes! Learn here everything you need to know about this 100% Mexican craft. The alebrijes are a Mexican craft made that in its greatest expression is made of copal wood in Oaxaca. It is a fantastic figure that combines physiognomic elements of various animals, whether real or imaginary, and is characterized by being painted in vibrant colors.

What is an alebrije?

First of all, an alebrije is a Mexican craft made with the cardboard technique. It is a fantastic figure that combines physiognomic elements of various animals, whether real or imaginary. They are characterized by being painted in vibrant colors.

Pedro Linares and the Origin of the Alebrijes

One of the best-known stories regarding its origin is that of Pedro Linares, who worked in the La Merced neighborhood, near the national historic center, following the same tradition as his father and grandfather. Some of his most common creations included papier-mâché objects such as piñatas, skeletons, masks, and burning Judas figures. 

When he was 30 years old, Linares fell ill and fell into a deep sleep. In that period he was walking in his unconsciousness, in a strange forest meeting colorful creatures. Among them he was visited by a winged donkey and a dog-headed lion, even a rooster with bull's horns! They always repeated the same word: alebrijes. Upon her recovery from him, he returned to work and decided to use his crafting skills to replicate those creatures. 

Although its origin comes from Mexico City, several states began with their own versions with more durable materials and exceptional quality. Such is the case of Veremundo from San Pedro Taviche, Oaxaca, who combined the tradition of carved wood crafts from the area with fretwork and local colors. 

In Oaxaca, the alebrijes are made of copal wood and are inspired by the idea of nahuales. A nahual is seen from two perspectives: a mythological or supernatural being with the ability to transform into an animal; an element of nature related to witchcraft; or the spiritual connection of a person and animal being the last protector and guide. 

Currently there are communities that specialize in the creation of carved wooden figures: San Pedro Taviche, San Antonino Arrazola, San Martín Tilcajete and La Unión Tejalapam. 

If you visited Mexico and among your souvenirs you took some craft in the shape of a pig with wings or a dog with six legs and that is also painted in many colors, but you don't know what it is... It's about the famous alebrijes! Learn here everything you need to know about this 100% Mexican craft.

How are Alebrijes made?

Currently, some artisans extract the colors from natural pigments such as lime, honey, the same wood from the ground copal tree, cochineal, indigo, and lemon juice. However, in more modern times, other craftsmen use acrylic paint for its durability. 

The history of the first Alebrijes

The first pieces were completely different from those known today, since they lacked the characteristic color and patterns of current alebrijes. 

Who would have thought that Diego Rivera himself, fond of burning Judas, would go to the workshops in the area. He was attracted by the shapes of the Alebrijes creatures and he was fortunate to bring these specimens to his house and thus they obtained success among his friends and colleagues. 

Little by little, the creations became more striking with impossible colors and patterns that simulated the skin of monsters, reaching what we know today as alebrije. 

For her part, in 1975, filmmaker Judith Bronowski made a documentary about the work of Pedro Linares, making him internationally famous. It was in 1990 that Pedro Linares received the National Award for Science and Arts in celebration of his career and his contribution to Mexican popular art. 

Alebrijes today

Without a doubt, the alebrijes are part of the cultural and artistic imagination of Mexico. For its part, since 2007, the Museum of Popular Art of Mexico City organizes a parade of monumental alebrijes with the intention of promoting Mexican folk arts and culture. Pieces of up to four meters high are built and paraded through the historic center of the city. This event is known as Night of the Alebrijes. 

An alebrije that is made of wood, begins with its process to give it life and shape at the right moment in which the copal wood is obtained, this is the favorite type of artisans, not only because it is traditional, but because it is soft and manipulable, which allows or that it can be worked on in a simple way before it can become rigid in a short time and cease to be useful, at least for the manufacture of alebrijes.

The wood allows the carving of hundreds of figures, ranging from strange animals, plants and humanoids, to mixtures of all giving rise to mythical creatures. Once the figure is made, the process cannot end without first beginning to give it color or to put a little color that will give the characteristics and the most important aesthetic aspect.

Usually the wooden alebrijes They are painted with colors that are very striking, each one is different from the others, even when we may think that they are similar, none of the alebrijes that are produced is an identical piece to the others, which is why they are so interesting and so valuable in an arts and crafts look. Then we will talk a little about the manufacturing process of the alebrijes using wood:

1. Prepare the wood: one of the first procedures that must be carried out with the copal wood consists of removing the bark it contains; generally, the use of a machete is used in order to tear off the bark without hurt the piece of wood. Subsequently, after removing the bark, the wood must be dried, then it is roasted and powdered. This mixture is the base of everything for the artisans, so they have their own recipes or personalized mixtures to create their wooden alebrijes.

2. Prepare the mixture: once we have the wood dust, many artisans mix it with lemon, a little incense and honey in order not only to eliminate the smell of humidity, but also to allow the mixture to last for longer.

3. Process: for the wood to be really resistant, and for the alebrije that is finally obtained to be able to last over time and survive insect attacks, it is necessary that the piece of copal wood receive a bath with gasoline, too A special mixture is applied to it, which is the secret of many artisans in order to immunize the wood and prevent moths, among other insects, from penetrating and damaging it, once it has become an alebrije.

4. Drying: the wood is bathed several times, that is, it remains submerged in these immunization compounds for several days, so that to manufacture wooden alebrijes, it is necessary that the pieces are first dried to work on them. Once dry, it is checked that the pieces of wood are not broken or that they have some type of damage, which hinders the work, once they pass this review it is time to pass into the hands of the craftsman.

5. Manufacture: The wooden alebrijes Before being completely finished, they can remain a long time in the manufacturing process, many artisans spend weeks and even months with a piece of wood, before giving it a final finish. When the artisan has finally polished the piece, he has elaborated every detail necessary for it to have the desired appearance, it is time to move on to the painting process, one of the most complex and most beautiful within the alebrijes.

6. Painting: the process of painting the alebrijes can be done in the traditional way, that is, in which the pigments of nature are obtained, or in the current way in which acrylic paints are used with which they are also obtained. Excellent results. Many artisans still produce their own pigments extracted from seeds among other mixtures to be able to give color and detail to the creature that they have not yet given life to. usually the wooden alebrijes They are painted with acrylics in bright, strong colors that bring life and color.

7. Distribution: many of the pieces generally remain in Mexico, however, most of them are distributed around the world, many orders are shipped to Europe to countries such as Spain, Germany or Finland, and many others to the United States States, where the pieces are really valuable.

Now that you know about these peculiar Mexican crafts, tell us what your invention would be like if you had to create one.