Handmade Papier Mache Cat Alebrije, "Fanciful Cat"

Working in papier mache, Marina Lozano in Mexico creates this fanciful alebrije sculpture. The winged cat is carefully hand painted with a dizzying array of motifs in myriad colours.

The folk art tradition of alebrijes dates back to the 1930's 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.