On December 13, 2024, Jesus Sosa Calvo, a wood sculptor from San Martín Tilcajete, Oaxaca, Mexico, visited Mt. Eden among other schools in California. During his visit to the school, Sosa Calvo spent the day sculpting an alebrije out of a block of wood.
Alebrijes are mythical creatures originating from Mexico, invented by artist Pedro Linares in the 1930s after he fell into a coma and dreamt of frightening critters made up of different animals around him shouting the word “alebrije” repeatedly. Linares replicated the bright-colored and patterned creatures just as they appeared in his visions with papier-mâché, which gained popularity rapidly. Since then, these creatures have been well-adapted into many concepts, such as being regarded as spiritual guides in the afterlife, like in the Disney film “Coco.”
Sosa Calvo first discovered alebrijes 36 years ago when he was sick and needed to find a way to make a living.
Sosa recalled his wife telling him, “Look, I bought you copal [wood] so you can make little figures while you rest.” His instant argument against it was that he wouldn’t make money without a prior knowledge of art. “No one is born knowing. Everything is learned,” his wife had reassured him.
Following her advice, he discovered alebrijes—simply wood figures at the time—and began sculpting them. After a year of learning and sculpting, Sosa Calvo decided to leave his previous job as an electrician since he was financially stable and enjoyed sculpting.
The most tedious part of creating alebrijes is painting the bright-colored patterns. The times creating the creatures vary depending on the size and the difficulty of the patterns—some take a couple of hours, some take up to half a year.
Sosa Calvo first visited the United States in 1995. He visits various schools around the Bay Area, including having visited Mt. Eden about four times. He sells his pieces to his intrigued audiences, including students.
Sosa Calvo said he sees art as a way to express oneself whether it be through wood sculpting, painting, drawing, or even writing a novel. He wouldn’t change anything in art as it would constrict artists and how they express themselves. Alongside his family, Sosa Calvo keeps Linares’s creation alive, bringing his bright and detailed creations to students at Mt. Eden to inspire them to find their true passion as he once did.
“I’d like to thank everyone for paying attention to me and my talks, and buying my pieces,” said Sosa Calvo. He expressed his immense gratitude for students who watch his demos.
