FANTASTIC ANIMALS FROM MEXICO
On view October 10th – December 7th, 2025
Inspired by the captivating world of Mexican magical realism, this extraordinary exhibition showcases monumental original sculptures from Mexico, each towering 20 feet tall and displayed at Arte Américas. This exhibition is a celebration of Mexican artesanos who create brightly colored sculptures across two distinct traditions of Oaxaca (nahuales) and central México (alebrijes). In addition to a delightful spectacle, it creates a crucial discourse around evolving traditions and methods of making and re-making within art. This interactive exhibition includes eight large-scale reproductions of alebrijes y nahuales as well as the original, hand-made sculptures themselves.
TWO TRADITIONS OF SCULPTURE
A reflection of Oaxaca’s indigenous woodcarving traditions, nahuales or tallas de madera, are figures that typically combine two or more animals from the natural world to create one, a nahual. Emerging in the 1960s, Oaxaca’s woodcarving tradition thrives in the state’s central valleys, especially San Martín Tilcajete. Rural communities have preserved and passed down their artistic skills for generations. Over 200 families in the region carve nahuales from copal wood, a native tree that also produces sap that is burned during ceremonias across many traditions.
These whimsical, vividly painted sculptures have become synonymous with Oaxacan magical realism. In Mexico City and the surrounding area, artists create alebrijes out of papier-mâché, a tradition attributed to the artist Pedro Linares. Unlike nahuales, alebrijes stem from dreams and include creatures that exist in the natural world as well as mythological and completely imagined beings.
Each of the large-scale fiber-glass reproductions featured in this exhibition is based on original works by celebrated artists and artesanos from Oaxaca and Central Mexico. They were produced and hand-painted in Iztapalapa, Mexico.
BACKGROUND
Following a triumphant debut in France in 2019, Fantastic Animals from Mexico: Alebrijes and Nahuales is now on a nationwide tour, engaging thousands in public spaces across the United States. Arte is one of many organizations and institutions where the exhibition fosters arts accessibility, highlights local diversity, and promotes cultural exchange.
In 2019, Mexico was the focal point of an eight-month-long cultural festival titled EL DORADO, presented in Lille, France, and surrounding areas (lille3000.com). Events included exhibitions, music, gastronomy, wrestling, cinema, literature, workshops, and an inauguration parade inspired by Mexico City’s Mega Procession for the Day of the Dead. The festival featured 92 exhibitions and over 1,500 activities, drawing approximately 3,000,000 attendees and garnering extensive press coverage.
One of the most successful and visible exhibitions was LES ALEBRIJES SUR LA RAMBLA, where ten alebrijes, each standing 22 feet high, were installed along Lille’s main avenue, Rue Faidherbe. These sculptures, designed and created by Mexican artists and artisans, remained on display for eight months, captivating thousands of visitors.
After this success, the exhibition moved to Parc de la Villette in Paris for six months. While many European cities expressed interest in hosting the exhibit, further expansion was halted due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Technical Aspects
A new set of sculptures is now touring the United States. The 20-foot alebrijes y nahuales are crafted from fiberglass with an internal metallic armature, designed for ease of transport and installation.
Each sculpture weighs approximately 1,200 pounds, with bases weighing nearly 1,000 pounds. Additional stabilization will be achieved through four standardized water-ballast containers, each holding 1,000 liters, to be filled on-site for maximum security. The sculptures, designed for long-term public display, are weather-resistant and illuminated by a vibrant, multicolored LED lighting system, making the exhibition particularly striking at night.
Featured Artists
Each sculpture is a unique, enlarged reproduction of original works by celebrated Oaxacan artisans.
Carlo Magno Pedro
Curator
Efraín Fuentes
The Coyote
Leonardo Linares
Lionbull & Catbird
Adrián Xuana
The Dog
Angélico Jiménez
The Cat Nahual
Constantino Blas
The Happy Alien
Margarito Melchor
The Armidillo
María Jiménez
The Rabbit