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Coco movie fans are in for a real treat July 6th-8th, when alebrijes artisans Saul Aragon-Ramirez and Alma Arreola arrive from the village of Arrazola, Oaxaca, Mexico. This talented husband and wife team work together to carve and hand paint the beautiful fantasy animals from copal wood.
Alebrijes are an internationally respected Mexican tradition that first originated with Pedro Linares in the 1930s. Linares fell ill and while unconscious he dreamt of a strange forest. There, he saw animals turning into fantasies. Donkeys with butterfly wings, a rooster with bull horns and many more creatures, with all of them shouting one word, “Alebrijes.” Upon recovering, he began recreating these figures in cardboard and papier-maché.
Saul first learned the art of carving and painting at the age of 11, thanks to the help of his older brother Ramiro. Alma began painting alebrijes shortly after meeting Saul. Together, inspired by the nature and shapes of the wood around them, they created a family business now in its third decade and second generation of artists! More recently, 18 artisan families from Arrazola founded a conservation association known as Ecoalebrijes A.C., dedicated to reforestation and conservation of the coal tree. This conservation work is supported in part through a service and cultural exchange program with San Jose State University Health Science Department.
Local retailer, Fair Trade Décor, will host Alma and Saul at their store located at 828 Orange Avenue all weekend July 6 through 8. The carving and painting demonstrations will take place July 6th, from 3:00-8:00pm, and July 7th and 8th from 10:30am-2:30pm. On Saturday, July 7th, they will be joined by a Latin music trio from the group Son Pa Ti from 12:00-3:00pm. The band will add to the celebration of Mexican art with a fun mix of Latin musical styles.
Large and small alebrijes will be available for purchase throughout the weekend. They are sold following the principles of the Fair Trade Federation, which among other things provides the opportunity for each artisan to earn several times the Mexican minimum wage, while preserving their local culture and helping to protect their environment. Proceeds from the sale support the artisans in Arrazola and allow them to maintain a workshop there to pass the tradition on to the next generation.
