Arts Thread

Protectora de los Alebrijes was created using a blend of digital and traditional mediums. My inspiration comes from modern collectible figurines and the vibrant Mexican Alebrije sculptures. Through my research, I explored the origins of Alebrijes, learning about their creation by Pedro Linares, who first introduced these creatures from his dreams. Alebrijes come from Mexican folklore and are imagined as animals fused with the human spirit and embody the four elements of earth, water, air, and fire. In Mexico, they are often referred to as guardian spirits or ancestral protectors, and today, they are celebrated worldwide by artisans across Mexico. For Protectora de los Alebrijes, I wanted to create my idea of a modernized, pop culture inspired Alebrije. My collectible figurine is a hybrid of a humanoid Alebrije girl named Reya. She represents a protector of Alebrijes. Reya wears a parrot head covering with bull horns and lamb ears. Her arms are covered with feathers, and her legs feature scales and hooves. Each animal part symbolizes the elements that make up an Alebrije. Using Zbrush, I sculpted her form with attention to detail from my sketches of her design. I then 3D printed her model using a resin SLA printer, followed by sanding and priming the surface. The final step was hand-painting her with colorful and detailed patterns to represent the traditional painting style of Alebrije sculptures. As I proceed to explore the potential of digital sculpture, I will continue focusing on the intersection of technology and traditional art forms.