Oaxaca de Juárez, Oaxaca

Oaxacan wood carvings, alebrijes, are created using copal wood. Copal wood can be sanded down to a fine porcelain finish, and this smoothness creates a surface perfect for painting intricate designs on the surface of alebrijes. The tradition of these whimsical carvings that depict animals, people, objects, and imaginary creatures painted with intense colors and intricate patterns started to appear around the 1940s. Eleazar continues this intricate art form today in his works.