ALEBRIJES WORKSHOP

English

Over five evenings you'll learn cartonería, the Mexican art of bringing paper to life, and you'll learn it by working on something real.

Together we'll create five alebrijes that will be part of the Día de los Muertos exhibition in Saint John. These aren't practice pieces: they're works that will be exhibited, and you'll be one of the hands that made them.

You'll learn the full process, step by step: cooking the paste, building the armature, layering the paper, drying, sealing, and painting in the bold colours and fine dotwork that give an alebrije its character. You'll work with paper, paste and paint, just as the master cartoneros of Mexico City do.

Alebrijes were born from Pedro Linares's dream nearly a century ago. Now these creatures will be born here, made by hands from Salisbury, to travel to Saint John.