guanajuato art

Lifting the hem of her wide skirts, a beautiful catrina in blue launches into a sevillana. Maria Lozano in Mexico crafts the stunning skeletal figurine from papier mache, painting it carefully by hand. Lozano designs the figurine after the original "La Calavera Catrina", a zinc etching created by the artist José Guadalupe Posada in Mexico around 1910. Posada created the character, a female skeleton with an elegant hat, as a satirical portrait of Mexican natives who aspired to European style and denied their own heritage. The catrina has since become an emblem of Mexico's Day of the Dead celebration and a popular folk art subject.

Learning his craft around the world, Mexican artisan Gorky Gonzalez works with a passion for preserving the traditional style of Majolica pottery. Working in the time-honored techniques from Guanajuato, he crafts this charming cake stand of ceramic, diligently hand-painting it with sweet blue floral motifs. He signs it "AT" for Alfarería Tradicional (Traditional Pottery).

Passionate about preserving the traditional style of Majolica pottery, Gorky Gonzalez diligently handcrafts this cake stand of ceramic. Using the time-honored techniques of Guanajuato, he hand-paints the cake stand with intricate blue floral motifs that possess a tantalizing sweetness. He signs it "AT" for Alfarería Tradicional (Traditional Pottery).

Marina Lozano of Mexico works in papier mache to create this delightful catrina statuette. The skeletal sculpture is elegantly attired, with flowers in her hair and one in her hand. The artisan designs the figurine after the original "La Calavera Catrina", a zinc etching created by the artist José Guadalupe Posada in Mexico around 1910. Posada created the character, a female skeleton with an elegant hat, as a satirical portrait of Mexican natives who aspired to European style and denied their own heritage. The catrina has since become an emblem of Mexico's Day of the Dead celebration and a popular folk art subject.

This fetching salsa bowl from Mexico is designed by Gorky Gonzalez, who works to preserve the time-honored tradition of Majolica style pottery. He diligently hand-paints the salsa bowl and lid with blue leaf motifs for a beautiful look. The dish, which can also be used for warming tortillas, is signed "AT" for Alfarería Tradicional (Traditional Pottery).