Editing Alebrije (section)

{{Short description|Mexican folk art sculptures}}
{{Lead too short|date=August 2024}}
[[File:Alebrijes in Oaxaca, Mexico 2009.jpg|thumb|300px|Alebrijes at the Pochote Market in the city of Oaxaca]]
[[File:Zacualpan Mojiganga 070.jpg|thumb|Zacualpan Mojiganga 070]]
[[File:Alebrijes wikilearning.webm|thumb|300px|Animation clip (in Spanish) about alebrijes made by the [[Museo de Arte Popular]] in collaboration with Wiki Learning, Tec de Monterrey]]
'''Alebrijes''' ({{IPA|es|aleˈβɾixes}}) are brightly colored [[Mexican handcrafts and folk art|Mexican folk art]] sculptures of fantastical (fantasy/mythical) creatures, traditionally made from papier-mâché or wood. The art form originated in [[Mexico City]] in the 1930s, when Pedro Linares, a papier-mâché artist, began creating surreal, dreamlike creatures after experiencing vivid hallucinations during an illness. His designs, which combined elements of various animals, became widely recognized as alebrijes and were later adopted by artisans in [[Oaxaca]], who began carving them from copal wood, a local softwood.

Alebrijes are now a significant part of Mexican folk art, blending indigenous traditions with modern artistic expression. They are often associated with Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead), though they are not traditionally part of the holiday's customs. Today, alebrijes are crafted in various regions of Mexico and have gained international recognition, appearing in exhibitions, festivals, and even contemporary media.