wood figurine

The classic alebrije style brings to life a traditional scene of the prairies. Artisans Jesus and Roxana Hernandez handcraft a copal wood sculpture of a howling coyote, painting the artwork with vibrant motifs and hues that make it a gorgeous decorative item evoking the Mexico of the 1930s. Furthermore, this fascinating piece is not only a unique creation; it also represents cleverness.

The tail can be easily removed and attached.

Carved by hand of copal wood, a vibrant bull lays down to rest in this traditional folk art alebrije sculpture from Mexico. Artisan duo Eugenia and Roberto Sosa create the sculpture, painting it by hand with intricate, multicoloured motifs in black and white.

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.

Luxuriously gowned in an antique silver hue, a dancer personifies Yemanjá, the goddess of all the earth's waters and mother of all Candomblé orixás.

The Candomblé religion is widely observed in northeastern Brazil. The name derives from kandombele, a Congolese-Angolan word meaning "to pray." practised in South America since slaves were brought over from Africa by the Portuguese, it combines Yoruban practises with Roman Catholic imagery. The orixás, or gods, are the forces of the earth; song and dance are a form of worship, and the dance impersonates the god, inspiring myths and legends.

As an homage to the doctrine's cultural richness, Hugo Negrini crafts an image that is both stunning and ethnographically correct. He first carves the image in wood, taking as long as 50 or 60 days, depending on the degree of detail in the piece. When the statuette is ready, he makes a silicone rubber mold and casts the sculpture in resin.