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Pedro Linares Lopez (29 June 1906 – 25 January 1992)

The first alebrijes, as well as the name itself, are attributed to Pedro Linares, an artisan from México City (Distrito Federal), who specialized in making piñatas, carnival masks and “Judas” figures from cartonería (a kind of papier-mâché). He sold his work in markets such as the one in La Merced.

The art form of alebrijes was created by Pedro Linares after he became ill at 30 years old. While he was in bed, unconscious, Linares dream of a strange place resembling a forest. There were trees, animals, clouds, sky, rocks, etc.; he felt no pain and was very happy walking down there. Suddenly, rocks, clouds and animals turned into bizarre creatures; he saw a donkey with butterfly wings, a rooster with bullhorns, a lion with an eagle head, and were shouting the word: “Alebrijes.” Every animal was shouting louder and louder: “Alebrijes, Alebrijes, Alebrijes!”.

The sound was terrible, and Linares was not able to stay there for long. He got a terrible headache and ran along a stone road where a man was walking. Linares asked the man for help as he wanted to escape. The man told him that he should not be here yet, and said that Linares had to walk by that road a few meters ahead for the exit. Linares ran until he was in front of a narrow window, passed through that window, and then woke up.

After he recovered, Linares gave life to his vision and the art of making alebrijes was born. He wanted his family and everyone to know about the animals he saw by taking a piece of paper and molding the figurines from his memory, then painting them as he saw them in his dream.

The first Alebrijes, as well as the name itself originated in Mexico City in1936. 

When he began using paper and cardboard to craft large, vivid, ethereal creatures that no one had ever seen before, he caught the attention of a prominent gallery owner who marketed the pieces. This garnered so much recognition for Linares’ work, that Diego Rivera and Frida Khalo began commissioning alebrijes by Linares. Alebrijes became celebrated throughout Mexico and abroad. Thus, Linares was equipped to take a folk art tradition in a new direction.

Linares returned home to his native Arrazola in Oaxaca. He shared his designs with artisans in his village. A man named Manuel Jimenez was the first to create the brightly colored creatures out of copal wood instead of papier-mâché. Jimenez incorporated Linares’ visions into the pre-Hispanic woodcarving tradition that already existed among the indigenous Zapotec culture of that area.

Descendants of Pedro Linares as well as Manuel Jimenez’s family continue to carve and paint various alebrijes to this day. Other artists have also taken the craft upon themselves to create their own versions of the stylized animal figures. Entire families and villages have dedicated themselves to honoring their woodcarving skills. They elevated the craft to a fine art that is prized around the world and built a unique economy based on artistic supply and demand.

Linares received Mexico’s National Arts and Sciences Award in the Popular Arts and Traditions category in 1990, two years before he died.  This inspired other alebrijes artists, and Linares’ work became prized both in Mexico and abroad. Rivera said that no one else could have fashioned the strange figures he requested; work done by Linares for Rivera is now displayed at the Anahuacalli Museum in Mexico City

The descendants of Pedro Linares, many of whom live in Mexico City near the Sonora Market, carry on the tradition of making alebrijes and other figures from cardboard and papier-mâché. Their customers have included the Rolling Stones and David Copperfield. The Stones gave the family tickets to their show.

A more recent phenomenon, the annual Monumental Alebrije Parade, has been sponsored by the Museo de Arte Popular in Mexico City since 2007. The 2009 parade featured more than 130 giant alebrijes made of wood, cardboard, paper, wire and other materials, and marched from the Zocalo in the historic center of the city to the Angel of Independence monument on Paseo de la Reforma.

At the end of the parade, the pieces are lined up on Paseo de la Reforma for judging and displayed for two weeks.  

In addition to the annual parade, the Museum has sponsored alebrije shows such as the three-meter tall alebrije which captured attention at the Feria International del Libro in Bogotá. The word “alebrije” was not known in Colombia, so the locals dubbed it a “dragoncito” (little dragon). Along with “dragoncito” 150 other, smaller pieces of Mexican crafts were shown.