Our Day of the Dead Paper Mache Linares Exhibit

Well the day finally arrived and on October 24 we had on display our exhibit of life size day of the dead Skeletons by Ricardo Linares and Felipe Linares at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery day of the dead celebration!.
The place of display was the Cathedral Mausoleum of the Cemetery (where the rests of Rudolph Valentino are). A perfect place with the look of a Museum where besides the Linares art also on display where paintings from Local artists and by artists from Rosarito Mexico like David Silvah and Francisco Cabello.
The event took place from 4pm to 11pm and all of the time the Mausoleum-Gallery was packed with visitors (see photo). From all of the pieces on display the Wedding set made by Ricardo Linares was very popular (Groom, bride, girl with rings, bishop and dog!!), other popular pieces that everyone took photos of where a big Catrina and an Enramada (branchmen) both of them made by Felipe Linares).
We would like to thank our patrons that very kindly let us use the pieces that we have sold them over the last few years. Our patrons are: Kelly Holland, Amy and Arthur Franz and Joan Kramer and Brian Hudson!.
Over the next days and weeks we will receive other very interesting life size pieces by the Linares, they are special orders by our collectors, I will make sure to post the photos!, one of them its a life size Cuahutemoc (Aztec Warrior) by Leonardo Linares, a Life size Judero (street vendor of Judas paper figures) and a Life Size Crowned nun made by Felipe Linares!!.
If you would like to inquiry about Linares pieces, please send us an Email to mexfolkarts@yahoo.com.mx and also you can check our online store to see what we have on stock by them, click here to see them.

Ricardo Linares: Humor & Day of the Dead

I have been always a big fan of papier mache folk art, specially the one made by the Linares Family the creators of those fantastical animals called "Alebrijes". The story tells that the Patriarch of this family "Don Pedro Linares" saw this fantastical animals in his dreams while beein sick. Once he recovered, he started making those fantastical figures on papier mache and gave them the name of "Alebrijes". He never imagined that his creation will have such a deep reception on Mexican Folk.
Ricardo Linares (grandson of Don Pedro) at age 40 its one of the most prolific members on the family; museums, Galleries and private exhibitions in the States and Europe have had his work on display some the places are: San Jose, Sacramento, San Fransisco, Oakland, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Cleveland, Chicago, Philadelphia and Boston. Over seas his work has been in Spain, France, Germany and Australia.
The special trade mark of Ricardo has been the sense on humor that his pieces show, for example you can see scenes with devils and angels figthing for the soul of a skeleton, or the same devil and angel having fun with a bottle of Tequila. One of his most famous piece its called "Dolor de Cabeza" (The headache) basically its a day of the dead skeleton running with an expression of pain in his head, and poping out from it there it is an Alebrije!!. Another piece that I like its the piece entitled "El coco" (the bogeymen) it shows a skeleton with a mask playing a joke to a scared smaller skeleton.
For more information on the Linares Family, you can also check my older post on Felipe Linares. Enjoy!!
To see the art by Ricardo Linares that we have for sale click here.

Mexico's National Award of Ceramics 2009

Since the late 1970s the "Premio Nacional de Ceramica" was established to help promote the craftsmanship of Mexican artisans and to bring there work at collectors level, each year the number of the pieces and there quality has been growing and growing!, this year 5200 pieces where summit!!.
I'm very happy to let you know that this year 3 of my friends that I work with have won this great contest. They are: Angel Santos, Juan Hernandez and Juan Carlos de la Cruz.
Angel Santos, won the "Angel Carranza Award" in recognition to his long trajectory as a great master in the field of burnished ceramics from Tonala, just a couple of years ago he and his group of artisans "Herencia Milenaria", won the National Award of Science and Arts in the folk Art category. The work of Angel can be found in several books of Mexican Folk Art, between them Great Masters of Mexican Folk Art and Arte Del Pueblo, Manos De Dios/Art of the People, Hands of God ( the catalog of the National Museum of Mexican Folk Art). Angel its very famous for his miniatures where in just a few inches he can show a Mexican fiesta!.
Juan Hernandez from Metepec its also very famous for miniatures but his are miniature trees of life just 4 inches tall. One example its a day of the dead tree of life that we have at hour gallery, its 3.2 inches tall and it has 50 day of the dead musicians!!! each one with its own musical instrument!!!. (see photo) His work can be found in the miniatures section of the book "Crafts of the people hands of God", several museums have his work including the National Museum of Folk Art in Mexico City know as MAP.
Juan Carlos de la Cruz, wow!, what to write about him??!! I'm always speechless every time I see one of his day of the dead miniatures. Since a young kid he has been working the clay, he learned the craft from his dad also famous artisan Alvaro de la Cruz in Capula Mexico. Specially I love his day of the dead crowned nuns and his Galleros (see photo).
Usually we carry the work of this 3 masters under special order, any way, please check our online store www.losnaguales.com or send us an email to mexfolkarts@yahoo.com.mx Enjoy!!!.