Irma Mora, 54, (left) and Ernestina Treto, 55, who belong to the collective Zion Art Studio, paint final details on “Maconda,” a 78-inch “alebrije” that they and two other women spent two months crafting at the Fábrica de Artes y Oficios de Oriente, or FARO, a cultural center and arts and crafts school in Mexico City, for the city’s annual alebrijes parade and contest. Alebrijes represent fantastical animals and are usually made of papier-mâché. After local artisan Pedro Linares created them in the 1930s, alebrijes became a traditional craft in Mexico City. Linares made the first figures after falling ill and dreaming about the creatures, who shouted to him, “Alebrijes!”

Mar García, GPJ Mexico

Irma Mora, 54, (left) and Ernestina Treto, 55, who belong to the collective Zion Art Studio, paint final details on “Maconda,” a 78-inch “alebrije” that they and two other women spent two months crafting at the Fábrica de Artes y Oficios de Oriente, or FARO, a cultural center and arts and crafts school in Mexico City, for the city’s annual alebrijes parade and contest. Alebrijes represent fantastical animals and are usually made of papier-mâché. After local artisan Pedro Linares created them in the 1930s, alebrijes became a traditional craft in Mexico City. Linares made the first figures after falling ill and dreaming about the creatures, who shouted to him, “Alebrijes!”

Mar García, GPJ Mexico

Irma Mora, 54, (left) and Ernestina Treto, 55, who belong to the collective Zion Art Studio, paint final details on “Maconda,” a 78-inch “alebrije” that they and two other women spent two months crafting at the Fábrica de Artes y Oficios de Oriente, or FARO, a cultural center and arts and crafts school in Mexico City, for the city’s annual alebrijes parade and contest. Alebrijes represent fantastical animals and are usually made of papier-mâché. After local artisan Pedro Linares created them in the 1930s, alebrijes became a traditional craft in Mexico City. Linares made the first figures after falling ill and dreaming about the creatures, who shouted to him, “Alebrijes!”

Mar García, GPJ Mexico

Mexico

Painting a Fantastical ‘Alebrije’ Sculpture in Mexico

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Mexico, Americas

Irma Mora, 54, (left) and Ernestina Treto, 55, who belong to the collective Zion Art Studio, paint final details on “Maconda,” a 78-inch “alebrije” that they and two other women spent two months crafting at the Fábrica de Artes y Oficios de Oriente, or FARO, a cultural center and arts and crafts school in Mexico City, for the city’s annual alebrijes parade and contest. Alebrijes represent fantastical animals and are usually made of papier-mâché. After local artisan Pedro Linares created them in the 1930s, alebrijes became a traditional craft in Mexico City. Linares made the first figures after falling ill and dreaming about the creatures, who shouted to him, “Alebrijes!”

Photo by Mar García
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Painting a Fantastical ‘Alebrije’ Sculpture in Mexico
By Mar García Contributing Reporter
November 3, 2017
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