Pedro Linares López created Mexico's alebrije folk art from a fever dream

Pedro Linares López, a craftsman in Mexico City, created alebrijes, which are sculptures of imaginary creatures combining different animal parts and vibrant colors.

Linares began producing these fantastical figures in the 1930s. He used a technique called cartonería, where he built wire structures and covered them with layers of newspaper and cardboard soaked in paste. He then painted these shapes to create creatures like winged burros or lions with dog heads.

Linares attributed the inspiration for these designs to a severe fever he suffered at age 30. During the illness, he dreamed of a forest filled with unknown creatures, including a donkey with butterfly wings and a rooster with bull horns. He later reconstructed these visions into physical art pieces. His work gained recognition from famous artists like Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo, and he received the National Prize for Arts and Sciences in 1990.

The craft eventually spread to the state of Oaxaca, where artisans like Manuel Jiménez began carving similar figures from copal wood. While the Mexico City tradition uses paper and paste, the Oaxacan style involves detailed wood carving. However, the high demand for these sculptures has reduced local copal tree populations, prompting a need for reforestation to protect the livelihoods of these communities.

The art form gained global fame through a 1975 documentary by Judith Bronowski and a 2017 Pixar film, which portrayed the creatures as spiritual guides.