The Art of Mexican Papier-Mâché

March 21 – May 21, 1989

Dragon, 5’ x 7’ by Miguel Linares (1979) Courtesy of The May Weber Museum of Cultural Arts

The beauty of papier-mâché, like all forms of popular art, lies not only in the artistic imagination of the artists, but also in the manner in which it is produced. Using only shopping-bag paper and a water-flour glue, incredibly beautiful and fantastic images are produced. Cartoneria figures have been used traditionally in Mexico during holidays and celebrations. The two most important feast days that feature cartoneria figures are the Day of the Dead and the Lenten observances. This exhibit of a little over 100 papier-mâché pieces brought together the most prominent papier-mâché artists of Mexico; the Linares family and Jose “Pepe” Hernández.