The artisan teacher, an expert in painting alebrijes, Martha Santiago, says that the production of these colorful magical pieces of art helps prevent the migration of Oaxacans, especially from towns like San Antonio Arrazola, where the 80% of the families live off the creation of these figures.
“They are also a source of employment for those who return,” says teacher Santiago, who will offer a workshop to learn to paint alebrijes on December 2 at the Consulate of Mexico in Los Angeles.
With a population of around 1, 400 people, located 4 miles from the city of Oaxaca, and next to Monte Alban, Arrazola is known as the Town of the Alebrijes. But just as alebrijes avoid migration, when there are problems, they can promote it.
Santiago remembers that during teacher lockdowns in 2006, tourism stopped reaching the town, and her husband was forced to emigrate to United States, scared because there was no income to support the three children.
The teacher was born in Oaxaca, but she married a person from Arrazola and went to live in the Town of the Alebrijes.
“My husband carves some very nice pieces in wood, beautiful; and I always said to him, give me a piece. No, she told me, because you’re going to spoil it and we need to sell it. ”
She always waited for me to give her a piece to learn to paint, but her husband never fulfilled her wish.
However, when he was forced to emigrate he does 18 years, it was her husband’s brother who is also an experienced alebrije carver, who offered Santiago a piece to to paint it.
“Really, you’re going to give me one,” she remembers that she responded all excited.
“If you choose the one you want,” the brother-in-law replied. “But I don’t know how to combine the colors,” she replied. “I tell you,” he added.
This is how Santiago began to learn to paint alebrijes, without imagining that in these pieces of art, he would find his passion.
“My brother-in-law taught me the technique to paint and give texture to alebrijes, and he shared many tricks with me.”
And she feels grateful because it says that not everyone teaches you and reveals their secrets.
Santiago leads 23 years painting alebrijes. “Learning was a process of experimenting.”
And she has impressed her creations with her own style.
“The eyes that I make They are different; and my pieces are always very happy and expressive ”.
She says that when her husband saw her work, he told her, ‘the student surpassed the teacher.’
“He’s right, he’s just not my teacher,” he says laughing.
Explain that in Larrazola, normally the man carves the alebrije and shapes it, and the woman paints it.
“If I don’t like a piece how it looks, I’ll paint it again. It takes me between 4 and 5 days to do it. I can last about 5 hours painting non-stop. ”
Ago 18 years, in your community formed the Eco Alebrijes collective with 15 families dedicated to the creation of alebrijes, she was the only female head of the family in the group.
The mission of the collective to plant copal trees in the riverbeds and the hills of Monte Albán.
“We make the alebrijes with the branches of the copal tree.”
Explain that for them reforesting the copal is very important. “We want the copal to remain for future generations because we live on the wood of that tree; and we are interested in returning to nature a little of what it gives us. ”
And because they began to plant copal trees, they do 18 years, they have already seen them grow.
“We only use the branches and make medium pieces so as not to cut down the tree. If you see very large pieces, it is because you knocked them down. There are already restrictions in Monte Albán, to protect the copal. ”
It was during a visit by a teacher from California State University to San José Arrazola that the exchange of students between that university and the Alebrijes town.
“We made them during 15 years and because of covid, we had to stop. ”
But since 2014, teacher Santiago began to come to the United States to give workshops in which he teaches how to paint alebrijes.
“I love to paint, when I see a piece, I polish it again to make it smooth before putting the colors on it.”
Explain that the artisan’s state of mind has a lot to do with the final result of an alebrije. “In each piece, it is reflected if one is sad, happy, worried.”
And over time, the creation of these unique pieces it has been transformed. “Techniques are changing and new colors are introduced. Each artisan is innovating to continue in the market. Now we are using a lot of geometric designs ”.
He adds that the alebrijes are painted with dots according to Zapotec iconography, which is the language found in the archaeological zones of Monte Albán, and each point has its meaning.
The best times to sell alebrijes are the Day of the Dead, Christmas, New Year and during the Guelaguetza festivities, says the teacher.
After more than two decades dedicated to painting alebrijes and teaching the techniques to decorate them, he says that when he works on one of his pieces, he forgets a little about his problems.
“For me, painting alebrijes is something colorful, relaxing and above all I like it a lot because it makes my imagination fly”.
The workshop “Decorate your Alebrije” taught by teacher Santiago will be held on Thursday December at 4 in the afternoon at the Consulate of Mexico in Los Angeles, located at 2401 W 6th street Los Angeles Zip Code 90057.