car part art

Working in the traditional Oaxacan folk art form called alebrijes, Pablo and Lucy Mendez in Mexico create this marvelous sculpture. The delicate deer is carved by hand from copal wood and then painted in meticulous detail. Please note that small parts may be detached for secure shipping.

The folk art tradition of alebrijes dates back to the 1930s in Mexico City. A man named Pedro Linares was taken ill, and in his fevered dreams he saw a strange land populated with curious creatures--a donkey with wings, a rooster with bull's horns, and a lion with the head of a dog. The beasts all ran at him, shouting the nonsense word, "alebrije! alebrije!". Upon his recovery, Linares began recreating the fantastical creatures he had seen in his dream in papier mache. The art form gained popularity, and alebrijes are now made of wood as well as papier mache. The same style of painting can also be found on other (non-animal) items.

About his work, Mexican artisan Armando Ramirez says “As a child I enjoyed inventing toys, and soon yearned to create a unique style of art. Environmentally enamored, I now transform recycled goods.” He is proud to present his designs in this key rack, made from upcycled auto parts for a modern, industrial look. A stern owl stands guard over household keys in this rack, which pairs perfectly with any doorway.

The artisan does not give his sculptures a fine polished finish, therefore smudges and scratches may be present.

Hand-painted with pearl motifs in tones of grey, a curious little giraffe brings the magnificence of Mexican folk art to your home. Zeny and Reyna hand-carve this alebrije figurine of copal wood, complete with a tail made of maguey fiber. Small parts are separated for shipping to protect from breakage.

Alebrijes are a fairly recent Mexican art form, attributed to Pedro Linares. Unconscious due to illness in 1936, he was presumed near death and yet his dreams were extremely vivid. He tells of a place where all was peaceful and quiet until all of a sudden there appeared a lion with an eagle's head, a rooster with bull's horns and a donkey with butterfly wings. They kept screeching "alebrije, alebrije!" and Pedro began running away. He encountered a man who told him it was not yet his time to be there are and he should continue running towards the exit. In this dream Pedro climbed out of a window and regained consciousness.