Catrinas and Dolls

Mexican Paper Mache

Our travels around Guanajuato have connected us to three renowned makers of paper mache art, one of Mexico’s most traditional art forms. Since the days of Spanish rule in the early 17th century, the country’s catroneros, as they were called, have been making colorful art from strips of discarded paper, soaked in a soup of flour and water. The creations range from masks and religious figures, to piñatas, Day of the Dead Catrinas and the towering human forms called mojigangas. Take a look at our evolving collection, and enjoy the work here by Pedro Hernandez Cruz, Betzabe Orozco Segoviano, and Francisco de Jesús Juárez Mújica.