ALEBRIJES
Alebrijes
Alebrijes are brightly-colored Mexican folk art sculptures of fantastical animal-like creatures.
While Pedro Linares first used the term to describe his paper mache creations, it is now
commonly used in reference to the Oaxacan woodcarvings popularized by Manuel Jimenez.
Origins
Pedro Linares started out as a common papier mache artist who eked out a living on the outskirts
of Mexico City by making traditional piñatas, carnival masks, and Judas dolls for local fiestas. In
the 1930s, he broke from tradition and started creating elaborate decorative pieces that
represented imaginary creatures he called alebrijes. Inspired by a dream when he fell ill at age
30, these paper mache sculptures were brightly-painted with intricate patterns and frequently
featured wings, horns, tails, fierce teeth, and bulgy eyes.
Creation
Most Oaxacan carvers use wood from the Copal tree. Copal (or Copalillo) belongs to the Bursera
genus and is found primarily within the warm regions of Oaxaca. The wood from the female
trees has few knots and is soft and easy to carve when it is first cut.
Once dried, it becomes light, hard, and easy to sand smooth. One
drawback, however, is that it can harbor the powder post beetle. The
wood is often treated with chemicals before being painted and finished
pieces can be frozen for 1-2 weeks to kill any eggs or larvae that might
be present. Some artists now use other woods. Manuel Jimenez and his
sons switched to cedar and some artists import hardwoods. Pieces are
carved using machetes and knives. Carvings created from a single
piece of wood are normally considered of higher quality than those
assembled from multiple pieces, although elements such as ears and
horns are frequently carved separately and fitted into holes so they can
be disassembled and shipped safely. Finished pieces are typically
hand-painted with acrylics. Acrylics are now favored over natural aniline dyes because the colors
are not as prone to fading
Steps in Making an Alebrije Sculpture
Read Every Step before Beginning
1. Begin by sketching out the animal and
the basic shape that you want the animal
to be in. The animal can be stylized and
does not have to look exactly like the
animal that it represents.
2. Build an armature, a paper skeleton,
out of newspaper and wire. Tape the
armature together and build whatever
pieces you need to. It is usually a good
idea to build horns, tails and long claws
separately at first.
3. Use a mixture of one part flour to one
part water to make paper mache (this will
be provided). Begin to add newspaper to
the armature one layer at a time. Do not
dip the paper into the mixture, but use
your hands and spread it over the paper.
This will help to avoid air bubbles and
lumps on your project. Make the finish
as smooth as possible.
4. When all of the pieces have been paper mached, tape them together for the final form. Once
they are taped, paper mache the piece again using a thicker paper which will be provided.
5. Let this dry and then paint on a coat of white gesso to unify the color of the form. Begin to
paint your patterns on the animal using acrylic paint. Be certain to clean your brushes at the end
of each class. When you have finished painting your animal add a clear coating of acrylic
varnish to help protect it.
Common Patterns on Alebrije Sculptures