Girl riding penny farthing bike – Natalia Mendoza
Papier Mache arts
It’s not surprising that papier mache originated in China, being the original inventors of paper. It is recorded that during the Han Dynasty (BC 202 – AD 220), lacquer reinforced papier mache was used to create helmets followed by other 3 dimensional objects in the decorative arts. Its use spread to Japan and Persia followed by Europe. The use of papyrus scrolls predates this in Egypt and the Mediterraneum but it wasn’t as suitable for creating paper mache due to having a less fibrous structure that could be broken down. Between the mid-eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, England and France developed industries where furniture and architectural ornamentation was made from papier mache along with decorative objects.
Rice flour, rye meal, mashed potato, tobacco leaves, plaster, resin and clay were some of the other traditional ingredients added with the paper in the production of papier mache. It was also reinforced with linens and muslin. The addition of the oil of cloves or other additives such as salt was included in the mixture as an antiseptic along with using potash to act as a deterrent against insects. Newspaper is still a convenient and popular choice for production using the pulp method of soaking overnight or boiling to obtain a malleable consitency. The application of soaked paper strips is sometimes favoured for building forms of a large size.
Animated puppets, dolls, figurines, lidded boxes, lightweight props for theatre and stage productions and sculptures are some of the applications still using papier mache in the arts. The focus here is on five current papier mache artists: Natalia Mendoza from Barcelona, Brazilian artists Fábio de Souza Pinheiro and Ubiratã Trindade, Colombian Mauricio Perez and Chicagoan Tato Correa.
A Palekh jewellery box depicting a scene from the fairy tale ‘Tsarevitch Ivan, the Fire Bird and the Gray Wolf’
Palekh Russian lacquer art on papier-mâché first appeared in 1923 in the village of Palekh
Natalia Mendoza
Natalia Mendoza was born in Barcelona, then lived in Uruguay while she studied and after graduating in architecture, returned to Barcelona, where she continued her passion for creating dolls. This had been with her since her childhood and was inspired by the colourful characters in the book ‘Alice in Wonderland’.
Natalia Mendoza – papier mache girl figure with paper plane
Natalia Mendoz, Barcelona
Natalia Mendoza – paper mache Siamese twins
Natalia Mendoza hopscotch girl figure
‘Skipping Girl’ —- Natalia Mendoza
‘Volarina’ — Natalia Mendoza – paper mache and clay sculpture
Papel pra toda Obra – Fábio de Souza Pinheiro & Ubiratã Trindade
Sao Paulo resident Fabio de Souza Pinheiro has participated in several courses related to art and specifically to working with mask, puppet and animation theater, with exhibitions in Belém, Brasilia and Salvador. He was a member of the ‘A Roda’ group of puppet theater (with performances staged in Salvador and other states of Brazil.
He belongs to Papel pra toda Obra (‘Paper for every Work’) which is a papier mache collective of artists that has explored, for over 12 years, the techniques and possibilities for manipulating paper into abstract forms, utilitarian objects, masks, articulated dolls, caricatures, furniture, toys, allegories and various scenarios. He has a particular interest in the universe of the circus, through figurative forms representing the playfulness of clowns, balancers, acrobats and trapeze artists, all modeled and carved in paper. Another member, Ubiratã Trindade, is inspired by popular dance and the culture closely related to Candomblé.
‘Ball bearer’ – Fábio de Souza Pinheiro
Papel pra toda Obra, Brasil
Escultura Orixás – Ubiratã Trindade
Papel pra toda Obra
Clown balancing act — Fábio de Souza Pinheiro
Papel pra toda Obra
Fábio de Souza Pinheiro – Clown with performing dog
Papel pra toda Obra
Papel pra toda Obra – clown riding bike
Papel pra toda Obra — paper mache clown balancing on a red ball
Escultura – The sculptures of Bahia in Samba de Roda are made by Ubiratã Trindade, inspired by popular dance closely related to Candomblé.
Fábio de Souza Pinheiro – unicyclist clown
Papel pra toda Obra
Fábio de Souza Pinheiro — girl balancing on ball
Papel pra toda Obra
Papel pra toda Obra – female paper mache wall figure
Fábio de Souza Pinheiro – clown on box
Papel pra toda Obra
Papel pra toda Obra — paper mache clown
Papel pra toda Obra – reclining female in black hat papier mache sculpture
Papel pra toda Obra papier mache wall relief art
Papel pra toda Obra – circular blue mermaid wall art
Brazil
Papel pra toda Obra – papier mache clown acrobats
Papel pra toda Obra paper mache girl with air balloon
Ubiratã Trindade papier mache artist
Papel pra toda Obra – chef carrying a cake
Trapeze artist papier mache – Fábio de Souza Pinheiro
Mauricio Perez
Colombian native Mauricio Perez is a ‘plastico artista’ who covers a diverse range of subject matter for the many papier mache characters he creates ranging from celebrities, fairytales, fantasy worlds and other imaginative flights of fancy.
Papier Mache Whirling Dervish —- Mauricio Perez
‘Elizabeth’ paper mache figure – Mauricio Perez
Mauricio Perez — girl sitting with cat
Van Gogh sunflowers – Mauricio Perez
Mauricio Perez chef
Mauricio Perez pierrot heads
Guardian angel – Mauricio Perez
Mauricio Perez — 2015
Blue striped cat – Mauricio Perez
Mauricio Perez – 3 paper mache fashion models
Mauricio Perez–Frida Kahlo
Mauricio Perez – female jester
Mauricio Perez – three clowns
Mauricio Perez
Mauricio Perez — head in clouds
Mauricio Perez – king with no clothes
Mauricio Perez- Kissing couple
Mauricio Perez Klimt in gold
Mauricio Perez
Mauricio Perez, 2016
Mauricio Perez paper mache girl with tree hat
Mauricio Perez paper mache figures models
Mauricio Perez rainbow wolf
Mauricio Perez — strongman
Yellow Submarine—Beatles — Mauricio Perez
Mauricio Perez paper mache
Tato Correa
Coco and Pepe
Tato Correa mainly does papier mache figure sculptures of iconic fashion.
Breakfast at Tiffany’s—Audrey Hepburn – — Tato Correa
Channel—Jacqueline Kennedy – Tato Correa
Catherine Deneuve — Belle Du Jour — Tato Correa, Chicago
Twiggy — Tato Correa, Chicago
Cindy Lauper—Album Cover 1983 — Tato Correa,
Dita Von Tease — Day Dress — Tato Correa, Chicago
Lucille Ball — Tato Correa
