Josefina Aguilar, of Oaxaca, Mexico, is perhaps one of the most collectable folk artists today. Josefina's skill was noticed when she was still quite young, and by the time she was in her early twenties, articles about her work began to appear in European and North American journals. Today, her work can be seen in the International Folk Art Museum of Santa Fe, the Rockefeller wing of the San Antonio Art Museum, and the Mexican Museums of San Francisco and Chicago.

Although Josefina is celebrated as a master in Oaxaca and beyond, it is definitely a family affair! Her mother Dona Isaura Alcantara sold her craftwork directly to Nelson Rockefeller and Alexander Gerourd of the International Folk Art Museum. Dona Isaura's daughters Guillermina, Josefina, Irene, and Concepcion have all acquired mastery in the medium and have developed their own specialties. Their works are sought by art lovers everywhere, and now, in turn, they are passing their skill on to their children.

Josefina may be the most recognized among Dona Isaura's daughters, and her works are perhaps the most widely collected. Her clay figures depicit people and rituals in everyday village life, as well as incredible religious and folkloric figures and scenes (see "Other Works" below).

The newest market ladies from Josefina's studio are titled "Alebrijes". These little clay women have elaborate, fantastical figures perched upon their heads, and the hand-painted detailing on this particular line of market ladies far surpasses that of more traditional ones. Josefina is very pleased to be able to introduce this innovative new line to her market ladies collection, as she is carrying on an important cultural tradition and theme.

"Alebrijes" come from a tradition started by Pedro Linares, an artist from Mexico City whose work in papier-mache became famous because of his innovative adaptation of traditional themes to visions he received as a child when he was near death due to a severe illness. In these visions, Don Pedro saw strange, exotic creatures on a complicated journey he took to meet his Creator, and "Alebrije" is the word that he used to name these creatures.

Linares' "Alebrijes" reflect dualities present in Mexican art since pre-Columbian times: ugliness & beauty, horror & humor, and death & life - themes perpetuated by famous commentator/engraver Jose Guadalupe Posada, who used satirical cartoons to alert a largely illiterate audience to social injustices during the revolution of 1910. Now, Josefina has incorporated the surrealistic "Alebrijes" into her work, passing this incredible cultural tradition on to future generations.