Photo: Felipe Linares

By THE PULSE NEWS MEXICO STAFF    

Mexico’s beloved, fanciful monsters known as alebrijes were invented in the 1930s by Pedro Linares in the southern state of Oaxaca.

One night, while in a mild coma from illness, Linares dreamed of surreal magical animals playing in a forest and all shouting the word, “alebrijes.”

When he awoke, he began creating these creatures in papier-mâché so that he could show them to his family and friends.

The alebrijes became very popular and soon, other artisans in Oaxaca began creating their own fanciful monsters, and so, a tradition was born.

Today, Pedro Linares’ son Felipe and his brothers still create alebrijes, and on the weekend of Saturday, Oct. 27, and Sunday, Oct. 28, a small exhibit of Felipe Linares’ works will be on display at the Atotonilco Gallery in San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato.

The gallery is located at Camino Antiguo Ferrocarril 14 El Cortijo in San Miguel.