Presentation: The state of Oaxaca is famous for brightly-colored, often whimsical wood carvings (Alebrijes) made by talented artisans. The selling of Alebrjes is a major source of income in several communities. Although this is a new craft invented in the twentieth century by monolingual Spanish speakers, wood carving aesthetics are often attributed by wholesalers, shop owners, and artisans to indigenous traditions. This talk explores the making and marketing of Alebrijes in the past and present. Two artisan families will display their pieces and briefly talk about their work.

Presenter: Michael Chibnik is a retired professor of anthropology at the University of Iowa. He has carried out research among Oaxacan wood carvers since 1994. He is the author of Crafting Tradition: The Making and Marketing of Oaxacan Carvings (University of Texas Press 2003) and the Spanish translation Tallando una Tradición: El Trabajo y el Comericao de Alebrijes u Otras Tallas en Madera en Oaxaca (1450 Ediciones 2017) which includes a new chapter about developments after the English version was published. He is the former editor-in-chief of American Anthropologist, the flagship journal of the American Anthropological Association.