A Visit to the Alebrijes of Jacobo y Maria Angeles Studio, Oaxaca, Mexico

Описание: 🔊🎶 #Alebrijes, in short, are whimsical spirit animals, represented by statues painted by hand with detailed patterns and bright colors. CDMX represents them in paper maîche, but in #Oaxaca, they’re done with wood. And the hub of creative woodcarving in Oaxaca is the town of San Martín Tilcajete (about 45 minutes away from Centro by car), home of the world-renowned @JacoboYMariaAngeles studio and gallery that has elevated the local art to the global stage with gallery shows around the world—even a larger-than-life exhibition in New York’s Rockefeller Center (with larger scale pieces done in fiberglass).

Touring the workshop by way of the @GrandOaxaca and @Chimalli.Meetings.and.Travel on a Sunday (when it wasn’t as bustling as during the week with its 200+ artisans), I learned the #alebrije-making process. Copal trees, at least 40 years old, are lumbered (and replanted) for wood carvers to sculpt a figure, which only takes about 4 days on average. The wood is soaked in gasoline for 12 hours to kill all possible termite infestations inside, and it sits for 3-4 months to dry. Cracks often appear as moisture is released, so they are patched and sanded over. The whole figure is then sanded before a coat of base primer. Then begins the iconic colors and patterns.

Natural elements provide hues for the natural paints mixed together, to paint each figure with extreme detail. Then it receives a protective clear coat after it’s done. Ultimately the whole process takes close to a year, depending on scale, but it pays off, with the resulting fine works of iconic art pieces to sell or show off in exhibitions. — An iguana crossed with a hummingbird is my spirit #alebrije in #SanMartinTilcajete, #Oaxaca, #Mexico. 🇲🇽

#theglobaltripoaxaca #theglobaltripmexico