Autism has given me success beyond my wildest dreams… I have economic independence and total liberty. My art is the only connection to the rest of humanity. It is my identity and my sanity." "Alebrije! Alebrije!" shouted Pedro Linares after a feverish dream he had in 1930. From that day, Mexico City experienced an artistic phenomenon full of fantastic and colorful creatures. Named after Pedro's words, this art style is present in many works, like this steel wall art design crafted by Alejandro de Esesarte. "I was drawing an alebrije-like figure, when a little girl came to see what I was doing and joyfully shouted, 'alegrijes!' She misspelled 'alebrijes,' and we all laughed," he recalls. "Later in the day, it hit me — the little girl didn't make a mistake. Because by changing a single letter, she gave me the new name for my line of alebrijes. They will be called alegrijes. "Alegre' means means 'joy.' Alegrijes — the ones who bring joy." The artisan uses a colorful palette to bring an impossible creature to life — a bunny with crab limbs and fish features. .4 lbs 12.25" H x 7.5" W x 1" D Steel Hand-crafted item -- color, size and/or motif may vary slightly Made in Mexico, ships from US "Today, several people work with me and support me in crafting more sculptures. This inspires me and gives me enormous satisfaction. I was born in Agua Prieta, Sonora near the border of Arizona with its colorful flowers. I feel influenced by both cultures but, above all, I identify with Mexico. "From the time I was a boy, I was attracted to art. My mother painted and I admired her creative ability. I began to draw. I then learned watercolor, which is something I still enjoy. "When I was 11, I began collecting butterflies. I'd catch them and keep them in a wooden box to exhibit them. When I was 20, I became an ecologist and defender of nature, and this is when I began to create animals in clay and resin. "In 1908, my grandmother crafted a tray with a metal butterfly. My technique is similar to cutout metal, but more rudimentary. From this, I became inspired and started working in metal, for its versatility. In 2004, I set up my workshop. "I am on the autism spectrum, and I became successful thanks to my ASD. I could not hold a job very long, so I was forced to make my workshop a success in order to survive. It took me twelve years but I kept on because of my autistic obsession, and that gave time for the art to mature and be successful. "I'm obsessed with perfection and beauty, quality and detail, and kept on adding more and more detail and quality. I create each piece with my passion for drawing and seeing the finished work fills me with satisfaction. I am very strict with quality because I'm very demanding in my work. I'm a perfectionist, and demand a great deal of myself because I love to watch people's faces, see their smiles when they see my work. "I have observed that the part of my brain in charge of social understanding and emotions stays in the stage of about a ten-year-old boy. So we are like big boys and girls who don't follow the unwritten rules of social behavior. The autistic is rejected and doesn't understand why. I am in a permanent state of anxiety and insecurity, not completely understanding the world. "There is a certain beauty in isolation, so that my quiet style and sensitivity increases. Understanding expands. You get to know yourself by being alone. "I understand and love the natural world. With animals, I have no problem. I feel at home. No conflicts, no social demands, no arguments and competitiveness of people. It is the world of that humans I do not belong to — the sense of belonging, unable to relax and enjoy life with other people. "We are perfect for science or art. Autism has given me success beyond my wildest dreams. Thanks to my artistic success, I have economic independence and total liberty. "My art is the only connection to the rest of humanity. It is my identity and my sanity. A special thanks to you who buy my art. Thank you for giving me my identity and value. My art gave me that dignity I never had." -Alejandro de Esesarte