Alebrije

Story book illustration examples depicting different dragons from around the world. This alebrije is a fantastical creature in Mexican lore that takes the shape of a dragon or spirit animal.

Alebrijes appeared to famous Mexican artist, Perdro Linares (1906 - 1992), in a feverish dream. He then made these creatures out of papier-mâché and the folklore soon spread throughout Mexico. Today, alebrijes are made out of various materials and are especially popular as colorfully painted woodcarvings in Oaxaca, a state and city in southern Mexico.

The tradition of papier-mâché alebrijes is carried on by maestro, Joel Garcia, in Mexico City. He lived and studied under Linares for years in the barrio, starting at the age of 18. Almost 50 years later, his alebrijes live in public and private collections throughout the U.S. and Mexico.