Alebrijes are carved folkloric art figures that originated in 1936 in Mexico City, created by Pedro Linares when he had fallen ill. The idea for these creatures came from a dream he had, being in a forest surrounded by these colorful and exotic beings that directed him back to consciousness, while hearing other creatures shout out: “Alebrijes”, “alebrijes”; it was that dream that inspired him to create these strange figures.
Alebrijes are quite common among the assorted variety of Mexican crafts found in Puerto Vallarta’s markets, galleries and downtown.
Some of the featured animal-like creatures include the tiger, donkey, rooster, rabbit, dragon, lion, and armadillos to name a few. He began to create the creatures he saw using papier-mâché and cardboard.
Eventually, a Cuernavaca gallery owner discovered his work. This brought his work to the attention of Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo, who began commissioning Linares to build more alebrijes. The tradition grew considerably after British filmmaker Judith Bronowski’s 1975 documentary on Linares. Pedro Linares received the Mexico’s National Arts and Sciences Award in Popular Arts and Traditions Category for his work in 1990, two years before he died. This inspired other alebrije artists, and Linares’ work became famous in both Mexico and abroad.
Puerto Vallarta is a cultural melting pot, where many of our Mexican roots, customs and pop art converge into a destination we share with all of you. Take a stroll through Vallarta’s markets and galleries, where you’re sure to see a variety of intriguing arts and crafts, including of course, these mysterious, exotic and colorful alebrijes.
No comments:
Post a Comment