Alebrije
Meaning “imaginary” or “fantasy”, Alebrije is a style of animal carvings with exceptional paint schemes. Originating in Mexico City by Pedro Linares, alebrijes offer a glimpse into the artist’s thoughts.
What is an Alebrije?
Artist Pedro Linares became ill in 1936. During his illness, Linares became unconscious. During a state of unconsciousness, Linares hallucinated and saw vivid visions of strange forest animals. Some of the visions included things like a lion with an eagle’s head and a donkey with butterfly wings. All of the creatures in his visions were shouting “Alebrijes!”.
After recovering from his illness, Pedro Linares started to recreate the creatures of his visions using paper mâché. The Alebrije’s were then made of copal wood from the Oaxaca Valley that was also believed to be magical.
If you’ve seen the Pixar film “Coco”, Alebrijes were used to represent some of the spirit animals. Alebrijes are most commonly seen around the Day of the Dead celebrations and are more prominent in certain parts of Mexico.
Pedro Linares died in 1992 but his fantastical creatures have lived on and continue to create a significant impact on Mexico’s culture.
Alibreje 6
Alibreje 5
Alibreje 3
Alibreje 2
Alibreje 1
Workshops at Growing Hobby
Workshop schedule set for after work hours and on Sunday afternoons. We now have central heating and air to make you more comfortable while you shop and attend workshops.