You may not recognize the name, but if you’ve been to Mexico you’ll likely recognize the brightly colored sculptures of fantasy animals and creatures. First created in Mexico City by artist Pedro Linares, alebrijes can be made of paper mache, wood or even metal and are often creatures most associated with fantasy or dream-like worlds. Brightly colored, alebrijes are commonly associated with Mexico City and Oaxaca. Both cities host alebrijes festivals, art shows and even parades to display their craft. These festivals are generally held in October, November and December to coincide with Halloween, Dia de los muertos and the Christmas craft season.
Here are some pictures from the fifth annual monumental alebrijes parade held in Mexico City. Each alebrije was created by a different art school, museum or community organization. Sponsored by the Museum of Popular Art, the parade ended along Paseo de la Reforma where the alebrijes were put on display.
People released their own small boats into the rivers and causeways, but the real festival in Chang Mai was in the air. Each night hundreds of thousands of white paper lanterns were lit and released into the air. Couples, families and friends gathered around each lantern and launched it into the air. Like small sparkling stars, the lanterns floated around in the sky following the wind. It was magical, although more than a few did crash and burn!
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