ANIMALES FANTÁSTICOS

“AT AROUND 20 FEET TALL,” PBS SENIOR ARTS Correspondent Jeffery Brown recounts, “they’re hard to miss, brightly colored and intricately designed…. fantastic animals that have their roots in Oaxaca and Mexico City.”

This and following images from PBS News. 

U.S. Tour. These Alebrijes & Nahuales: Fantastic Animals From Mexico are on a U.S. tour, having begun earlier this summer at the Yerba Buena Gardens in San Francisco, May 10-June 22. The Tour celebrated July 1-31 as part of the Reno, Nevada, Artown 30th Anniversary, and then August 8-September 28 as part of the San Jose, California, Jazz Festival. It closes off the year October 10-December 7 at the Fresno, California, Arte Américas. 

For 2026-2027, the Tour wends its way eastward to Denver, San Antonio, Dallas, Chicago, Boston, Miami, Austin, New York City, El Paso, Houston, Los Angeles, and Washington. D.C., with others to be confirmed as far as Maine.

Arts Accessibility, Local Diversity, Cultural Exchange. The organization described its nationwide tour “engaging thousands of people in public places across the United States. In partnership with local communities and institutions, we will collaborate in meaningful community engagement activities that foster arts accessibility, local diversity, and unparalleled cultural exchange.”

It goes without saying that PBS encourages this project, especially in light of Trump’s contentious relationship with Mexico—not to say with PBS.

Alebrije Wood Carvings. Viva Mexico Fine Mexican Art describes “alebrijes” as “whimsical, colorful wood carvings that merge fantasy and tradition into breathtaking works of art. Carved by master artisans in the villages of San Martín Tilcajete and Arrazola, each alebrije begins its life in copal wood, meticulously shaped by hand and then painted in dazzling detail using natural pigments and centuries-old techniques passed down through generations.”

A selection from Viva Mexico. For example, the Mini Cat is $18 $20. (Sizes of mini alebrijes are approximately 1.5-2.5 inches.)

“These fantastical creatures — a fusion of animals, imagination, and dreams — are far more than decorative pieces. They are symbolic expressions of identity, mythology, and spirit, rooted deeply in Zapotec heritage and Mexican folklore,” says Viva Mexico. 

Upscaling the Tour Animals. The eight-piece selection of whimsical animals are each a 1200-lb upscaling of a typical alebrije. Artisans began by preparing pieces in a mid-scaling, each perhaps 60 cm (2 ft) tall. 

Above, a form begins. Below,an intermediate size.

Then computer analyses evolve into surface and structural details of the full-size alebrije.

These evolve into scale drawings and fabrication.

Whimsy, Fantasy, and Cultural Heritage. Carlo Pedro Martinez, Curator of Alebrijes and Nahuales, describes (through translation): “This is contemporary art from the indigenous communities of Oaxaca.”

PBS’s Jeffrey Brown stresses, “Also important, he says, is bringing the art of indigenous artists to a U.S. audience at this particularly tense moment in U.S.-Mexican relations, especially over tariffs and immigration, including protests against ICE raids.”

Martinez (through translation): “Art is the universal language of humanity, and amid political and economic tensions that exist between our countries, art is the beautiful face of humanity.” 

“It is the universal message that we humans give, and this is where there is a fraternal bond between peoples,” a message that translates especially well. ds

© Dennis Simanaitis, SimanaitisSays.com, 2025