alebrijes

Woodcarvers of Oaxaca Carve Out Their Niche

Manuel Jiménez is credited with starting the alebrije tradition in Oaxaca, but we’re smitten with the playful creations of Martín Melchor Ángeles.

Painting of Manuel Jiménez holding an alebrije in front of real alebrije

Don Manuel Jiménez is credited with bringing the alebrije tradition to Oaxaca, and shifting the medium from papier-mâché to wood.

On our fifth day in Oaxaca, Wally and I were picked up outside Casa Antonieta, the hotel we were staying at, by folk art expert extraordinaire Linda Hanna. Having done our research, we knew that Oaxaca was famous for its brightly painted collectible wooden figures and that Linda was the perfect guide to explore the region. We were on the road by 9:30 a.m. and en route to San Antonio Arrazola, a small pueblo where the tradition began. 

These wood carvings are the newest of the local crafts yet draw on generations of skill. Even the capital’s fútbol (soccer) team, Los Alebrijes, is named after the locally produced wood carvings, which are an important source of income for their indigenous makers. According to Linda, prior to the 1940s, the region produced utilitarian items such as wooden spoons and molinillos, a utensil used to froth drinking chocolate. 

Nahual woodcarving of grasshopper with woman's face

Alebrijes are believed to have been modern offshoots of nahuals, human-headed animal amulets worn by the Zapotec.

The origin story that Linda has heard often and which she believes to be the most credible involves a Zapotec tradition: Every baby was given a small nahual or nagual (pronounced “na-wal”) amulet to wear around their neck from the day they were born. These tokens took the form of animals from the 20-month Mesoamerican zodiac and were protective talismans symbolic of an individual’s alter ego that accompanied them throughout life.  

Facade of Casa Museo Don Manuel Jimenez

Don Manuel is no longer living, but his family carries on the woodcarving legacy.

Don Manuel Jiménez: The Alebrije Story Begins

“Manuel Jiménez was a peasant farmer who would be out there in the fields,” Linda told us. “And I think these people are, you know, born with a machete nearby. So carving is almost inherent in their DNA, and he was probably out there whittling away. He didn’t want to be limited by the size of the creatures, so he started making them bigger. At some point he had a bunch of them and would come into town, sit on some street corner, trying to sell them, probably not too effectively — until an American saw his work and was very impressed.”

Blue man alebrije by Jiménez

Alebrijes take many forms but are mostly animals nowadays. Jiménez liked to do human faces, inspired by an ancient Zapotec tradition.

Paint-covered chair with wicker basket at the Don Manuel Jimenez workshop

If you’re into alebrijes even half as much as Wally and Duke, consider having Linda Hanna take you on a tour of woodcarving artisan workshop homes.

Paint containers and paintbrushes at the Jimenez workshop

We call Jiménez and his cohorts woodcarvers — but a lot of their craft involves painting. Alebrijes are known for their surprising mix of colors and patterns.

Jiménez, with the assistance of the foreigner, took these objects and presented them to the offices of the Tourist Council in Mexico City. The closest thing they could compare them to were the fantastical creatures Pedro Linares had been making out of papier-mâché, so they decided to also call these surreal, vibrantly colored wooden adaptations “alebrijes,” too. 


Blue cat alebrije at the Casa Museo Don Manuel Jimenez

What’s an Alebrije? Learn more about our favorite Mexican artisan tradition.

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About 45 minutes later, we were welcomed to Arrazola by a giant acid green praying mantis sculpture and a sign commemorating the town as la Cuña de los Alebrijes, the Cradle of Alebrijes. A short time after, we arrived at our destination, the museum workshop of the Jiménez family. Known locally as Don Manuel, the patriarch died in 2005 and is often credited as the father of Oaxacan alebrijes.

A fun sculpture of a giant praying mantis in Arrazola, the Cuña, or Cradle, of Alebrijes

As we parked and got out of Linda’s car, we noticed a man outside the studio enclosure with a converted bicycle grinding a metallic object against a spinning rust-colored disc. When we asked Linda what he was doing, she replied that he was a knife sharpener and it looked like he was working on a pair of scissors.

Courtyard at the Jimenez workshop and museum

The charming courtyard at the Jiménez home, workshop and store

In the courtyard, a group of small, weathered and anatomically correct diablitos (little devils) playing guitars hung along a roughly textured stucco wall. 

Inside the workshop are framed photographs, newspaper articles and nahuales. One with a man’s face and mustache was sitting upright like a dog, another, ears back, crouched, appearing ready to pounce. A brightly colored figurine of Dante, the dog from the Pixar movie Coco stood atop a well-worn table.

The taller (pronounced “tie-yair”), or workshop, is operated by Don Manuel’s sons, Angélico and Isaías, and contains a small museum with glass display cases of their father’s work. They still sign Manuel’s name to their work — supposedly to honor his legacy. 

The patriarch specialized in nativity scenes, animals and nahuales. There’s even a children’s book, Dream Carver, that tells the story of a young woodcarver who breaks with a generations-old artistic tradition, inspired by the life of Don Manuel. 

A display case of some of Don Manuel’s works and the children’s book based on his life

There’s a shop/museum connected to the workshop.

“When these started selling, Jiménez tried to keep it a secret — which is impossible in a little village,” Linda said. “They know everything about you, good and bad.”

It wasn’t long before campesinos (farmers) in the nearby pueblos of San Martín Tilcajete and La Unión Tejalapan caught on and decided to carve and sell their products to tourists and collectors from North America and beyond. A new artisan tradition was born. 

El Tallador de Sueños Museo-Taller

When you see this mural, you’ll know you’re about to enter Don Manuel’s complex.

El Tallador de Sueños Museo-Taller
Álvaro Obregón #1
San Antonio Arrazola
Santa Cruz Xoxocotlán, 71233
Oaxaca
México

Alebrije display case

While we were in Arrazola, we stopped into Taller de Alebrijes Autóctonos, a massive store filled with colorful carvings.

Shopping Break 

In addition to Don Manuel’s workshop and museum, Arrazola has a concentration of shops on Calle Emiliano Zapata. Wally and I stopped by Taller de Alebrijes Autóctonos, a massive establishment with a vast selection of alebrijes. Linda had mentioned that a few artists use syringes to apply dots of acrylic paint to the surface of their creations. Sure enough, I noticed a woman working on a piece who was using a syringe to embellish a small wood carving.

 

Taller de Alebrijes Autóctonos
Emiliano Zapata #2-B
San Antonio Arrazola
Santa Cruz Xoxocotlán, 71233
Oaxaca
México

Martín Melchor Ángeles

Martín Melchor Ángeles, our favorite alebrije artisan

The Story Continues: Martín Melchor’s Magical Menagerie 

The moment I first saw the work of Martín Melchor Ángeles on the Instagram feed of Mexico City-based freelance journalist Michael Snyder, I knew I’d found someone special. 

Our next stop was the taller of Martín Melchor Ángeles. A dusty, rose-colored wall sported a hand-painted sign with one of Martín’s signature dalmatians wearing a red shirt and blue pants riding a bicycle. 

Martín’s distinct whimsical handcarved animals include a menagerie of creatures: giraffes operating mototaxis, dogs on bikes, alligators in libraries, cows on stilts and more. His wife, Hermelinda, makes handsewn costumes for the figures on stilts. 

Martín Melchor Ángeles alebrijes of gator and bull in dresses on stilts

These are the alebrijes on stilts that Duke and Wally bought at Melchor’s workshop.

The stilt walkers were included as part of a collaborative exhibit, Transcommuniality, by multidisciplinary artist Laura Anderson Barbata, which made an appearance at the Museo Textil de Oaxaca in 2018. The traveling exhibit includes interpretations of stilt walkers’ costumes found around the globe, from the moko jumbies of Trinidad and Tobago to the Zancudos de Zaachila in Oaxaca.

In fact, while walking through Oaxaca Centro a couple days earlier, Wally and I happened upon a parade with these performers. We marveled at how they danced around, tied onto wooden stilts. They’re known as Zancudos, which comes from zanco, meaning “stilt” but also evokes “mosquito” — a reference to the insects’ long legs. The male performers, some dressed in masculine garb, some wearing dresses, are impressive to watch.

Small bird-headed figurines being painted at Martín Melchor Ángeles' workshop

Part of the fun of a folk art tour is seeing the handicrafts at various stages of production.

At Martín’s shop, it was difficult to decide between the pieces. But ultimately, we decided upon a bull dressed as a tiliche in colorful scraps of cloth. This character makes an annual appearance at Guelaguetza, a celebration of indigenous culture held in Oaxaca de Juárez, along with an alligator in fanciful Tehuana dress wearing a lemon yellow huipil tunic paired with a long bougainvillea pink skirt.

If for some reason you don’t want to make a trip to Martín’s studio (and want to pay a lot more for his work), we found a couple of his pieces in town along Avenida de la Independencia at Andares. But not only is it cool to meet these artisans and see their workshops, you’ll find the prices much cheaper than those at the stores.

Painted sign for Martin Melchor, woodcarver and pink wall

The sign at Martín’s home and workshop shows his playful style, often with animals on bikes or in mototaxis.

Martín Melchor Ángeles
Andrés Portillo #2
San Martín Tilcajete
Oaxaca
México


Wally and I wished that we had allotted extra time in Oaxaca to coordinate a second day trip with Linda. Her involvement with and passion for the region’s indigenous artisans deepened our understanding and appreciation of the process. Having her as both driver and guide took the stress of transportation out of the equation. Plus, her familiarity with and ability to contact the creators prior to us visiting their workshops ensured that they had pieces for us to see and purchase.

If you’re interested in Mexican folk art, Linda can introduce you to local artesanos and take you to see their workshops. Send her an email at folkartfantasy@gmail.com. —Duke

The Best Folk Art Guide in Oaxaca

A Q&A with Linda Hanna, who shares the appeal of Oaxaca, Mexico, her passion for textiles and the now sadly closed Casa Linda B&B.

Linda Hanna, folk art guide extraordinaire

If you have a passion for folk art, as Duke and I do, Oaxaca has to be on your Mexico itinerary. And if you want to visit the workshops of the local artisans of this colorful state, there’s no better guide than Linda Hanna. 

I first heard about Linda in Viva Oaxaca: An Insider’s Guide to Oaxaca’s Charms, and authors Robert Adler and Jo Ann Wexler didn’t exaggerate when they describe her as an expert who knows most of the region’s artisans personally. In fact, Linda is the one who chooses the artists who will represent Oaxaca at the national Feria Maestros del Arte (Masters of Art Fair) held at the yacht club in Chapala, Jalisco each year.

Head, heart and hand: I believe creating folk art involves these three elements.
— Linda Hanna

Linda’s a charming guide who’s eager to cater your day trip to whatever villages best represent your passion. The pueblos around the city of Oaxaca hold a variety of talented artisans creating various products, but the three biggies are alebrijes, pottery and rugs. 


What exactly are alebrijes?

Fantastical creatures inspired by a fever dream: Learn more about our favorite Mexican folk art tradition.


Casa Linda in Oaxaca

The lovely Casa Linda, outside of Oaxaca de Juárez

We spent the better part of a delightful day with Linda, visiting woodcarving workshops, and ending the tour with a visit to her home, which is filled with so many amazing pieces of locally created folk art, it could very well be a museum. She even made us lunch — a watermelon-based gazpacho with mango chunks that Duke and I can’t stop thinking about. 

Want to learn more about folk art day trips in Oaxaca? Email Linda at folkartfantasy@gmail.com.

Duke by tiled exterior of Casa Linda

Duke is still dreaming of the watermelon gazpacho he had at Casa Linda.

Wally on tiled bench at Casa Linda

Wally’s happy place is being surrounded by lush plants and amazing folk art.

Here’s our Q&A with this fascinating expat and fellow folk art fanatic:

What first drew you to Oaxaca?

I first visited Oaxaca with my oldest daughter in 1992. She had been in Chiapas, and we came to Oaxaca for a weekend. It just so happened to overlap the last Monday in July, so the Guelegetza festival was full on. It was like being in nonstop fiesta mode and with many, many vendors offering the various folk arts of Oaxaca. 

I had been a weaver and designer of wearable art for 15 years in California, so I was completely in awe of the diversity and quality of the Oaxacan textiles. 

Cat by Mexican tilework

One of the many kitties roaming the grounds

What has kept you there?

As it turned out, my daughter decided to live in Oaxaca when she finished her BA. By then, I was teaching elementary school in Richmond, California. Whenever I had vacation time, I booked another trip to Oaxaca, and finally, in 1997, I decided I would come for a year so I could improve my Spanish and then try and find work in a different school district. So, in August of 1997, I arrived in Oaxaca — and apart from visits to the States and a few other places, have never left. 

I rented a place in town (about a seven-minute walk to the Zócalo) for about four years. At that point, I knew that I was going to stay in Oaxaca for the duration of my life. It was then I decided maybe I ought to invest in property and was eventually shown the house in San Andrés Huayapam in which I’m still living. It is about five miles northeast of old Oaxaca and also about 600 feet higher. I knew when I first saw the house that it would be perfect for my growing collection of Oaxacan folk art. 

“Mi casa es su casa,” reads the plaque at Linda’s charming home.

Tell us about your B&B. When did you open it? What inspired you to do so?

In the beginning, I didn’t have a car — only my bike, which I would ride into town and to the pool, which was another obsession at that time. 

It was a friend, Carol  Ross, who suggested that I get a car so I could help her with folk art tours. She was also the person who nudged me into opening a B&B in my home. 

The thing that made my B&B a bit different was that I would also offer full-day tours to visit the folk artists whom I had gotten to know in the years I had been in Oaxaca. 

At first I was resistant and only wanted to be a host for friends or friends of friends. However, that was a really short list. I made the decision to go on the internet in 2006 and operated Casa Linda until COVID happened. Finally, in 2021, I closed Casa Linda, but I am still doing the tours even though I no longer have the website. 

Everywhere you look at Linda’s home you’ll find great examples of local folk art.

You’re a big fan of folk art. What about it most appeals to you?

I believe my interest in folk art came by way of textiles, which was a passion and vocation I had developed in California. When I moved to Oaxaca — which is the Mexican state with the most diverse textile traditions — I knew I had settled into the place I belonged. 

However, I don’t think it’s possible to live in Oaxaca and not be impressed by its many other wonderful folk art traditions, which include ceramics, woodcarving, tin, gourds, corn husk and silver jewelry, to name a few. 

For most of my adult life I have thought that the ideal job would incorporate the three H’s — that is, head, heart and hand. I believe creating folk art or perhaps all art involves these three elements. I certainly experienced it when I was a weaver, and it seemed perfectly natural to support craftspeople in Oaxaca. 

A sirena (mermaid) takes center stage in this retablo.

What are some of your favorite types of folk art? 

As I mentioned, I was drawn first to the textile crafts. Since I had been a weaver, I was more experienced in being able to appreciate the expertise and skill of these artesanos. 

I have been often asked if I wanted to do weaving again here, but in fact I haven’t wanted to. I would much rather take visitors to meet and see the work of these remarkable craftspeople.

My interest in textiles culminated in an exhibition called Rosas y Revelaciones. This is a homage to the Virgin of Guadalupe as seen through the garments that I commissioned 85 artesanos to make from 13 different states, but mostly from Oaxaca. 

Colorful open-mouthed bird handicrafts

These hungry birds appropriately adorn the dining table.

How did you start getting to know the locals who create this folk art? 

The way I came to know a number of the artesanos making high-quality crafts was by going to exhibitions or into galleries and writing down the names and villages where they lived. I would then go, and if I didn’t have an actual address I might ask a colectivo driver or maybe a cantina owner if they knew this person. Then I would go to their home. Now it’s easier, as almost everyone has a cell phone, and many more craftspeople are on the internet. 

Devil mask with tongue out

A creepy-cool mask hanging in the open-air garage

What’s the best-kept secret about Oaxaca?

I don’t know if it’s really a secret, but I think Oaxaca is a place of endless delights. I have been writing about its folk arts, but there is a whole other world of its archaeology, which continues to reassert itself in folk art. 

There are also the worlds of food and mezcal, which could entirely fill a visitor’s itinerary.

There are still 16 languages spoken in Oaxaca and those people more often identify with their indigenous group before seeing themselves as Mexicans. 

The side yard at Casa Linda

What’s something that could only happen in Oaxaca?

Is Oaxaca perfect? No — but then what place is? There are far too many blockades for reasons no one can ever seem to figure out. But it also is a place that one can live without supplementary heating or air conditioning. There are few places in the world that can boast that.

Triangular shrine with flowers out front

When we asked Linda what this triangular structure was, she told us it was a shrine.


If you want to hire Linda as a folk art guide (and really there’s no one else better for the job), email her at folkartfantasy@gmail.com. –Wally


Two alebrijes, ones a gator in a dress, the other a bull in a costume of rags

Meet the Woodcarvers of Oaxaca

Here are the artisans who create alebrijes and other wood handicrafts, including Martín Melchor Ángeles, who carves whimsical creations that can’t help but make you smile.