They are colorful, towering sculptures representing one of Mexico’s richest artistic traditions, reimagined at a monumental scale. And they are about to be a Salinas spectacle.
A month-long exhibit, Alebrijes & Nahuales: Fantastic Animals from Mexico, brings eight nearly 20-foot-tall sculptures to the city, all weighing about a ton and inspired by alebrijes and nahuales, fantastical animal figures rooted in Indigenous worldviews and craftsmanship.
“The sculptures will bring people together physically when they visit, but also an opportunity to engage with the arts and educational community,” Mayor Dennis Donohue says. “Like the World Cup, communities come together when they have a shared experience and this one will be hard to miss.”
Each is a reproduction of an original 1- to 2-foot-tall figure made from wood of the copal, a small tree native to the tropical dry forests of Mexico, and cut using a machete. It’s a process that can take months to complete, says Romain Greco, artistic producer of the exhibit.
The story begins in 1936 with Mexican artisan Pedro Linares who, while recovering from a life-threatening illness, dreamed of strange creatures. Lions with eagle wings, donkeys with butterfly tails and fantastical animals all cried out a single mysterious word: “alebrijes.” When he recovered, Linares recreated the creatures in papier-mâché.
Oaxacan woodcarvers embraced Linares’ vision and transformed it into something uniquely their own. Artisans carved whimsical creatures by hand before painting each one with intricate geometric patterns inspired by Zapotec textiles, nature and ancient symbolism. The nahual comes from Mesoamerican belief that every person is connected to an animal spirit offering guidance, strength and protection. For example, jaguars represent courage, and owls wisdom.
“Yes, it’s colorful and aesthetic and people are encouraged to take photos, but it’s about the traditions, the stories and the cultural identity,” Greco says.
The exhibit’s grand opening party takes place at Northridge Mall on Friday, July 31 from 5-6:30pm. From 5-6:30pm on Friday, Aug. 7, an exhibition of 30 smaller, papier-mâché alebrijes – curated by local artist JC Gonzalez – opens at One Main Street.
Besides Northridge Mall, other large nahuales are located at Sherwood Hall, Star Market, Vineyard Church, One Main Street and the Salinas Regional Soccer Complex until Sept. 4.