Jacobo & María Ángeles

A beautiful studio, with many beautiful impressive pieces. The staff was extra helpful and we were lucky to meet Jacobo, he was kind and explained the piece that was bought by a friend and then offered to sign it. An incredible studio with great collaborations

Incredible artistry! Expensive but you can better understand why based on the sheer hours and expertise that goes into every stage in the process to deliver an incredibly intricate piece of art

We went on a very fascinating free tour here and found it very interesting. I enjoyed learning about how the different coloured paints are made, how the carving is done, and how the sanding and painting is done, and to see it all happening. At the end, we viewed the gallery with a whole bunch of completed works. The price points were quite significant here which seemed to match the quality, though I’m not sure how the prices compare to other workshops/stores selling similar works. Overall, I really enjoyed the afternoon trip out to go and visit this workshop.

Visiting the Jacobo and Maria Angeles alebrije workshop was one of the highlights of our trip! This place is a true gem, showcasing the incredible craftsmanship and artistry behind traditional Oaxacan alebrijes. The free tour through the workshop was fascinating, as we learned about the entire process, from carving to painting, to extracting colors from natural sources, and even the significance behind each design. The intricate details and vibrant colors of their work are awe-inspiring. The workshop is not only a place to see art but also to feel connected to the Zapotec culture and the symbolism woven into each piece. The staff was welcoming and knowledgeable, eager to share insights into the history and traditions that make their alebrijes so unique. If you’re interested in folk art or simply want to experience authentic Oaxaca, this is a must-visit. Be prepared to leave with a deep appreciation for the artistry, and you might find yourself bringing home a piece (or two), like I did, to cherish! Each piece comes with a certificate of authenticity and description and meaning of the Zapotec hieroglyphs painted on the alebrijes. Our group was also lucky enough to have met Jacobo, whom was kind enough to sign my certificates. I will definitely visit again on my future trips and purchase a few more alebrijes for my collection.

If you are looking for the best of the best, this is it. I don’t think a higher quality of workmanship exists anywhere else in Mexico. We were blown away with the months, and sometime years, go into making alebrijes. Take the free tour to see it all in action - it’s worth it. We especially liked Jacobo and María’s focus on creating the next generation of artists and the focus they put on training young people in this art. Expect to pay for the quality you receive but also know you are supporting young and aspiring artists in this trade.

My two friends were skeptical about this alebrijes experience but they ended up loving the tour (highly educational) and gallery. The craftsmanship is exquisite and it’s easy to see why this shop is making a name for itself internationally. Yes the pieces are expensive but not unreasonable- you can find larger pieces that are almost as intricate/good for half the price at smaller family run shops in town. We ended up getting a piece from Jacobo and Maria plus a few pieces in town. A great experience over all.

What an amazing little town of Tilcajete. I found out about this place because I saw Jacobo and Maria’s exhibition in el Centro and was blown away by the craftsmanship. I went the very next day to find their workshops.They have a tour guide who will take you around and tell you all about the history and process of making these magical wooden creatures. They have a ceramics area where they also do ceramic and jewelry. I also saw that they offer a painting class where you can purchase a blank alebrije for 400 pesos and an instructor will lead the class. I was told it goes from 9 am to 6 pm the workshop is an hour long,the last one being at 5pm. I highly recommend making a day of visiting the town and enough to stay here for a while to take the workshop and tour.While they do have other places that seemed to also offer workshops and more affordable prices. This gallery and workshop was the largest with seemingly more workshops available.

Stayed for a week and got to try the different aspects of making my own alebrije. I didn't finish but got to take two pieces to finish at home. The whole team were extremely welcoming, supportive and talented! Staying in the village is a must, a quiet, creative, and vibrant place with a real community feel. Would 100% recommend the experience and if you can't then definitely a visit for a few hours.

Wonderful workshop. I saw many alebrijes throughout Oaxaca and the quality here is superior. The prices are also much higher. I came here as part of a tour (Ruta de las artesanías, booked via https://oaxacatours.mx). The tour included this town (San Martin Tilcajete) as well as San Antonino, Santo Tomás Jalieza, Ocotlán and Santa Catarina Minas. The alebrijes tour was one of the highlights. They took us through the different steps: cutting the wood, dyeing it, and painting it. They let us smell the pieces of wood (and the incense produced from it), showed us how the natural dyes are mixed, walked us past artisans cutting and painting the pieces. Our guide was excellent and we were offered fresh juice and tamarind ice cream along the way. The galleries had some stunning works on display. Incredible creativity and gorgeous execution. The final gift shop had some wonderful pieces (a lot of variety) and I purchased a lovely cat that I'm very happy with. I saw imitations at other locations thereafter but they weren't even close in quality (the lines were crooked, the eyes too far apart, less detail, etc.) I'm very happy that I bought my alebrije here. That being said, I wanted a larger piece to commemorate my visit and quality was important to me. I do encourage you to purchase smaller souvenirs elsewhere and support other artisans as there are a lot of shops selling these toys in the town (and for less). Don't be afraid to ask your tour guide/driver to stop at other shops to pick up cheaper souvenirs (which is what we did). Obviously you can come here without being part of a tour. I do recommend the artisan tour however as it was really affordable (450 MXN for adults or about 22 USD). The bus was extremely comfortable and private for our group of 3 adults and 2 kids. They picked us up and dropped us off at our AirBnB. The guide was really knowledgeable and spoke great English. The other stops included a market with fabric weaving, an embroidery shop, a busy market in Ocotlán (as well as a stunning church), a stop for lunch, and ancestral mezcal tasting in Santa Catarina Minas (this was the other highlight).

I ordered a carving in June of 2017. It was to be 18 to 20 inches high and was going to take one year. They charged me $1400.00us It arrived and was 8 inches high! I looked on their website and found a similar carving larger than what I ordered for nearly the same price! I contacted them and they deny my order was supposed to be larger. My husband and I stood right there and showed the size we wanted from a shelf of samples. I know what we ordered. I feel totally ripped off. If you choose to do business with these people I would strongly urge you to take a video of the transaction. Signed, Ripped-Off and Angry