Eric

Finding her destiny in the Catrinas

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Artisan creator of catrinas

Erik began molding clay as a child, copying his grandparents' techniques. At the age of 15, he specialized in making painted clay catrinas.

The creation of each piece is a meticulous task, starting with Erik's inspiration, where he imagines the final figure, and moving on to the molding of the clay and the meticulous assembly of each of the details.

Today, 10 families work in the workshop and their children play with clay and paintbrushes to begin to immerse themselves in this noble art and thus ensure that the tradition continues.

Playing is how I learn best Eric

This is how he makes the pieces

Proud of the teachings his teacher left him.

The clay mixture used to make catrinas must be carefully refined, due to the number of details that make them up. The main structure of the catrinas is obtained through handmade molds, which Fernando created in his workshop.

Once the main structure has been removed from the mould, with the clay air-dry, all the details of these figures are modelled by hand, from the parts of their bodies to the objects they carry or the animals that accompany them.

Each catrina has a different personality, in her features, her character, her props, etc. Each and every one of them tells you a story. When all the parts of the catrina are molded, metals are introduced into them or holes are molded, so that once baked they can be assembled easily.

The last step is to bake them, and then, if you want, paint all the details with a brush in different colors. These are pieces of extraordinary cultural beauty, which help you better understand the essence of Mexico's character.