Alebrije
An alebrije is a colorful, animal-like fantasy figure from Mexico . Originally the paper mache figures invented by Pedro Linares were meant, today the term also includes the wood carvings from Oaxaca made famous by Manuel Jiménez .
Paper mache figures from Mexico City
Pedro Linares López (1906–1992) from Mexico City first made traditional piñatas , carnival masks and dolls. Inspired by a dream, he began making decorative figures in 1936, which he called alebrijes . His paper mache figures had bright colors, complex shapes, wings, horns, tails, terrifying teeth, and big eyes. A gallery owner from Cuernavaca discovered Linares' characters and made them known all over the world. Linares received the Premio Nacional de Ciencias y Artes en la Rama VI, Artes y Tradiciones Populares , a prize from the State of Mexico for folk art for his work .
Wooden figures from Oaxaca
Today the name Alebrije is also used for fantastic wood carvings from Oaxaca. There the figures are also called animalitos , monos , or simply figuras . Manuel Jiménez Ramírez (1919–2005) is considered to be the founder of these folkloric wood carvings in Oaxaca; he developed the previously common simple figures into small, internationally recognized works of art. In the meantime, over 200 families in the villages of San Antonio Arrazola, San Martin Tilcajete, La Union Tejalapa and San Pedro Cajonos live from the colorful wood carvings, including several internationally recognized artists such as Jacobo Ángeles and Bertha Cruz. The descendants of Manuel Jiménez also make alebrijes in his style.
literature
Hartmut Zantke: Alebrijes - masterpieces by Mexican sculptors and painters . Sozialkartei-Verlag, 1st edition, Stuttgart 2011, ISBN 978-3-9814034-0-4
Web links
- Biografía de Pedro Linares (Spanish) with Amo Alebrijes . Retrieved May 27, 2020