These are crafts made with the cardboard technique, which are painted with happy and vibrant colors. Alebrijes are imaginary beings made up of elements of different animals, combining various animals, fantastic and real, to form an amazing being.
Cartonería , a technique used in Mexico to make Mexican piñatas and judas. It consists of modeling paper, usually newspaper, with cardboard. In the technique used for alebrijes, a wire or reed structure is used that is then covered with paper and cardboard. Finally, the finish is done with various painting techniques that give them that psychedelic look.
Pedro Linares López (1906 – 1992). He was a Mexican artist born in Mexico City (DF) and creator of these paper mache figurines, the alebrijes.
He created them after falling ill at 30 years of age. While lying in bed unconscious, Linares dreamed of a strange forest-like place. Suddenly the rocks, the clouds and the animals became something strange, a kind of animal, but unknown animals. He saw a donkey with butterfly wings, a rooster with bull horns, a lion with an eagle's head and they all shouted in unison, the word was "Alebrijes."
Pedro gave life to his vision and with this this art was born, which in a short time was appreciated both nationally and internationally. Leaving Pedro Linares, as one of the best artisans in Mexico.
