These Arboles de Copales are native to the Oaxacan region and have been used for centuries as incense and in rituals to cleanse the air. This purification happens when one burns the wood and walks around, allowing the smoke to eliminate bad energies in the room. Native people in this region have a long-standing connection to nature, whether it's with the trees or with corn plants, so using this Copal tree in creating traditional alebrijes connects people with their ancestors who found healing, food and security through this tree. It is interesting to see this ancient plant being used in a modern art form. I feel like it is a very poetic medium to blend the old with the new, which is exactly what the art of alebrijes is doing.
