However, it was in 1975 when the British filmmaker Judith Bronowski made a documentary about her work, throwing him to fame inside and outside Mexico. So, Linares came to make several Alebrijes For Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera, who remain today at the Anahuacalli Museum.
What does it mean to give an alebrije?
Being part of Traditional Mexican Artit is believed that giving a Alebrije It helps to «scare» the evil spirits of households, especially those alebrijes with a more «monstrous» aspect. They are also considered as a symbol of good luck.
However, there is also belief, according to Zapotec mythology, in which every human being is born accompanied by an animal that will guide him during his life, called «Nahual» or «Alebrije».
How is an alebrije made?
Traditionally, The alebrijes They are made with the cardboard technique. To do this, the skeleton of the figure is molded with a wire base, and then cover it with several layers of newspaper and swelling, using cardboard to give it volume.
Once the base dries, more detailed elements are added, such as eyes, peaks, wings and claws, and then smooth the surface of the figure and then cover it with a layer of white paint.
Finally, the Alebrije It is painted with different colors and decorated with points, stripes and other patterns. Since molds are not used for its creation, each Alebrije is unique and unrepeatable.
The meaning of colors
One of the features of the alebrijes is their color, so each of the tones has a different meaning. For example, green is associated with nature and empathy, while pink is a sensitive color that symbolizes love.
Orange is used to free negative emotions and yellow is related to the expression of our feelings, joy and luxury. Blue reflects tranquility, while coffee means connection with Earth and animals.
Oaxaca Aless
Although the Alebrijes They were invented in Mexico City, artisans from different states such as Oaxaca adopted this tradition to regionalize it.
Although the Oaxacan Alebrijes They retain their color, these are manufactured with copal wood and dyed with natural pigments such as the ash of the copal, bicarbonate, lime and honey, while details are added with indigo, huitlacoche or piglet.
The Oaxacan Alebrijes They are inspired by the idea of nahuals, supernatural beings that have the ability to transform into animals. Thus, communities such as San Antonino Arrazola, San Martín Tilcajete and La Unión Tejalapam, They have become typical villages with families of artisans dedicated to the manufacture of Alebrijes.