Learn sculptureand folk artwith alebrijes

Bright, fascinating and fantastical, alebrijes were first imagined by Mexican craft maker Pedro Linares. Pupils may well have seen them in Pixar’s Coco, taking on the added role of spiritual guides. But did you know that these incredible creations are in fact vibrant pieces of folk art? Considering their favourite animals, pupils will have a chance to study sculpture, folk art and traditions of Mexico before producing their own ornate and vivid designs to display in a classroom exhibition.

1|THE STORY OF THE ALEBRIJESBegin with the fascinating story of how these fantastical creatures came into being: the story goes that in the 1930s Pedro Linares, very unwell, envisioned wonderful creatures in his sleep. The name ‘alebrije’ is said to derive from the sound he thought they were making in his vision. To express what he had seen, Linares began to make them out of papier mache. Notoriety of his work grew over the decades, with Linares being commissioned to create alebrijes for other famous artists in Mexico.

But the crafting of

alebrijes differs between Mexico City and the city of Oaxaca in Mexico’s south (Oaxaca being of inspiration to Pixar’s Coco creators). In Oaxaca, alebrijes are carved from copal wood, native to some of the Mexican forests.

Here is an effective time to stop and compare the two places. Oaxaca is known for its art and colourful streets – even the football team are named Alebrijes de Oaxaca. What would your school’s local team be called if it was named after a famous local tradition? You could also consider what materials are native to your locale to craft from.

2| DESIGNING YOUR ALEBRIJEThe tradition in Oaxaca draws

Exploring and creating these unique Mexican designs will open imaginations and boost geographical knowledge, says Adam Newman

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START HERE MAIN LESSON

WHAT THEY’LL LEARN

l The story of the alebrijes

l Traditional crafts and

culture

l The geography of Mexico

l Some sculpture and paint

techniques

l To write informatively for

an audience

K S 2 L E S S O N P L A NArt, Geography, English

Show children a piñata – you might even want to get one in the classroom. Discuss what children know about its heritage. Show pupils a still or clip of Dante or Pepita from Coco and ask what the two things may have in common. The alebrije (pronounced ‘a leh bree hehs’) was first envisioned by a piñata craftsman Pedro Linares. Look carefully at images and examples. Do they recognise any animals within the designs? Is it a mythical beast? An animal not seen in your locality – what can pupils notice?

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properties. This provides an opportunity for pupils to study and reflect upon the animal kingdom, exploring which

“The story goes that in the1930s Pedro Linares, very

unwell, envisioned wonderful creatures in his sleep”

l Explore the contrasts between the cities of Mexico City and Oaxaca or indeed compare either location with your own locality, recognising different local crafts, traditions or what each is famous for.l Find out more about some of the other locations Pixar was said to be inspired by when creating Coco, such as Guanajuato and Michoacan, and explore the geography of Mexico as a whole.l Turn your hand to other crafts from Mexico or other folk art around the world: how do they compare? l Take some creative licence and weave your alebrijes into an adventure story.

EXTENDING THE LESSON

l How will you design your alebrije?l How does Oaxaca compare with your town/city?l What do we want people to know about Pedro Linares and alebrijes?l What else do the children know about Mexico as a whole?l What other types of art are specific to a location?l What creatures have the children dreamed about in their sleep?

upon the Zapotec calendar, in which days are represented by animals, and with those animals each having special

USEFUL QUESTIONS

they feel best represents them. Encourage children to consider the colours and patterns which they feel also reflect them, encompassing a range of reflective and thoughtful decisions into their final design. The craft stage itself can of course be done in the style inspired by Linares, using papier mache, or sculpted using a form of clay. If opting for clay, rehearsing the sculpture techniques using Play-Doh enables pupils to refine their designs and skills. Reflecting on their successes and reworking their ideas means that, once working with the clay itself, they pre-empt trickier elements. Complete the designs by carefully and colourfully painting them, before finishing by applying a varnish, leaving these fantastical pieces ready for exhibiting.

3|ALL ABOUT ALEBRIJESBefore displaying the alebrijes (or holding your own exhibition) discuss with pupils how art galleries display pieces. What do we want our audience to know about our work? Look at examples of texts which inform visitors to galleries, perhaps even taking a virtual tour if you can’t get to one, and consider what the audience needs to know. Pupils may want to retell their own version of the story of the alebrije origin, or simply write in the form of a fact file to accompany their display. Once this informative writing is complete, it’s time to convert the classroom into your very own gallery and welcome your audience to admire.

Adam Newman is KS2 and curriculum leader at Farmilo Primary School and Nursery in Nottinghamshire.