Martha Santiago Álvarez belongs to an association called “EcoAlebrijes.” Here, families focus on the creation of wood carvings and paintings known as alebrijes. In the association, the men carve gurines out of wood and the women paint the ne details onto the carved pieces. Since each piece is made by hand, the pieces retain a familial harmony.

For the last nine years, EcoAlebrijes has worked towards the conservation and reforestation of the Copal tree, whose Wood is used in the making of the alebrijes. The name of the association derives from this in- spiration to combine ecology and economic sustainability.

The association aims to reach the consumer directly and retain the fair trade price for the artisan pieces and thus encourage community members to make a living in their homes and not immigrate to the United States.

Alebrijes_(Wood Sculptures)