MASTER ALEBRIJE

Masks and Alebrijes

OAXACA

MASTER ALEBRIJE: The Magic of Oaxaca Carved in Wood

Our History and Essence

In the heart of Oaxacan tradition, MAESTRO ALEBRIJE began as a family workshop dedicated to preserving and elevating one of Mexico's most iconic artistic expressions: the carving of fantastical figures and traditional masks. Our work bridges the gap between ancestral art and contemporary art, where each piece is a manifestation of pure imagination, respect for nature, and artisanal mastery passed down through generations.

The Art of Transforming Copal

The soul of our work lies in copal wood , a sacred tree whose softness allows us to give life to the most whimsical forms while it is still "green." Our process is a dance of patience and precision.

A Family Commitment with a Global Vision

What truly makes us unique is our spirit of unity. We work as a family, sharing our love for our craft at every stage of the process. This passion has allowed us to transcend borders, and today we have the technical and logistical expertise to bring our Oaxacan art to any part of the world.

Choosing MAESTRO ALEBRIJE means supporting fair trade, the culture of Oaxaca, and the talent of Mexican artisans who put their heart into every fiber of wood.

MIS TRABAJOS

INFORMACIÓN GENERAL

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Proceso Artesanal

¿Qué materiales utilizas para crear tus piezas?

We make Alebrijes from copal wood. Copal wood is the most commonly used wood because it is easy to carve and durable. It is carved while still green because it is easier to carve in that state; as it dries, the wood hardens.

¿Cómo es el proceso de elaboración de una pieza?

The process involves carving the wood while it's still green. From there, it goes through a process of drying, sanding, and repairing the wood. Once the piece is dry, it's sanded and repaired with the wood dust produced during sanding. We use treatments with gasoline, soaking the piece in gasoline, and then mixing wood filler and glue to make a paste. This paste is applied to the wood to protect it from insects.

After this treatment, the carved piece is completely dried in the sun or, during the rainy season, in kilns. It's then sanded until a smooth surface is achieved. Finally, bright and vibrant acrylic paints are applied, with designs that can include dots, geometric patterns, spots, flowers, stripes—each person decorates the wooden piece according to their imagination.

We apply the base paint with a brush, and for the decoration, we use thick and thin brushes, agave thorns, and toothpicks for the dots.

For wood carving, a machete is used; to shape the piece and to add details, we use very sharp knives and gouges.

¿Cuánto tiempo tarda en hacerse una pieza?

The time to finish a piece varies depending on its size. If they are small pieces, 5 or 6 cm, you can carve 4 or even 5 pieces a day. Then they are left to dry in the sun, sanded, and repaired before moving on to the painting process, which takes another day or two depending on the design.

If they are 11 cm pieces, it takes about a day to carve, followed by the same process. They are left to dry in the sun for about 3 days, and then they move on to the painting process.

If they are larger pieces, from 50 cm to 1 meter, carving takes about 15 days to a month, depending on the details of the piece. Sun-drying takes several months because the piece of wood is larger and the drying process takes longer. Painting takes even longer, depending on the design and the imagination of each artisan.

¿Qué es lo más difícil o especial de tu trabajo?

What's most special about our work is that we create it through imagination, putting a lot of effort and love into each piece. We don't have one piece that's special to us; all our work is special, especially because we do it as a family.