Have you ever seen those slightly unreal yet sort of real painted wooden figures from Mexico? They are called alebrijes. It all started in the pueblo (village) south of Oaxaca called San Martin Tilcajete. An artisan brought some colorfully painted figures to the market at the Zocalo in Oaxaca, and that started a demand that continues to grow, today. Now, nearly the entire pueblo is employed in the production of alebrijes. The quality varies, but the end product is always imaginative.
It all starts with copal wood. This is a tree indiginous to the state of Oaxaca. The tree can be male or female and the wood has different characteristics. The male, or macho, is a harder wood that is used in the highly intricate carvings. The female wood is easier to carve and splits less, but it is difficult to form detailed features. It all starts with a machete to rough carve the wood. This is followed with chisels and gouges. Finally, a narrow bladed knife is used to finish the initial carving.
Depending on the intrecasy of the carving and the craftsman, the initial carving is allowed to age for a few months up to a year. This allows for the shrinkage that occurs as the wood dries out.
After the wood has aged, a craftsman fills the cracks by gluing wood shavings into the cracks and then sands the figure. After the sanding process, the figure is coated with a paste of pulverised wood and glue. This is followed by another sanding.
The paints vary from natural to commercial. The natural paints use naturally occuring materials like plants, fruits, worms, linestone,etc.
Mixing the various raw materials give suprising results.
Once a base coat of paint is applied, it will be allowed to dry for several days to a week. next comes the painting of the detailed designs. Each colored area may dry for a few days to a week.
The end result is always a unique piece of art that has come from the artists imagination. There are no patterns or automated machinery. I'm bringing a couple of alebrijes home with me.
Have you ever seen those slightly unreal yet sort of real painted wooden figures from Mexico? They are called alebrijes. It all started in the pueblo (village) south of Oaxaca called San Martin Tilcajete. An artisan brought some colorfully painted figures to the market at the Zocalo in Oaxaca, and that started a demand that continues to grow, today. Now, nearly the entire pueblo is employed in the production of alebrijes. The quality varies, but the end product is always imaginative.
It all starts with copal wood. This is a tree indiginous to the state of Oaxaca. The tree can be male or female and the wood has different characteristics. The male, or macho, is a harder wood that is used in the highly intricate carvings. The female wood is easier to carve and splits less, but it is difficult to form detailed features. It all starts with a machete to rough carve the wood. This is followed with chisels and gouges. Finally, a narrow bladed knife is used to finish the initial carving.
Depending on the intrecasy of the carving and the craftsman, the initial carving is allowed to age for a few months up to a year. This allows for the shrinkage that occurs as the wood dries out.
After the wood has aged, a craftsman fills the cracks by gluing wood shavings into the cracks and then sands the figure. After the sanding process, the figure is coated with a paste of pulverised wood and glue. This is followed by another sanding.
The paints vary from natural to commercial. The natural paints use naturally occuring materials like plants, fruits, worms, linestone,etc.
Mixing the various raw materials give suprising results.
Once a base coat of paint is applied, it will be allowed to dry for several days to a week. next comes the painting of the detailed designs. Each colored area may dry for a few days to a week.
The end result is always a unique piece of art that has come from the artists imagination. There are no patterns or automated machinery. I'm bringing a couple of alebrijes home with me.
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