Miss Lupita is a project based in
Mexico City
Mexico City ( es, link=no, Ciudad de México, ; abbr.: CDMX; Nahuatl: ''Altepetl Mexico'') is the capital and largest city of Mexico, and the most populous city in North America. One of the world's alpha cities, it is located in the Valley o ...
with the aim of reviving the traditional craft of
Lupita dolls
Lupita dolls, also known as cartonería dolls, are toys made from a very hard kind of papier-mâché which has its origins about 200 years ago in central Mexico. They were originally created as a substitute for the far more expensive porcelain doll ...
. The dolls originated in the late 18th and early 19th century as a way to cheaply copy more expensive imported dolls for poorer families. The dolls are made from a very hard form of
papier-mâché
upright=1.3, Mardi Gras papier-mâché masks, Haiti
upright=1.3, Papier-mâché Catrinas, traditional figures for day of the dead celebrations in Mexico
Papier-mâché (, ; , literally "chewed paper") is a composite material consisting of p ...
called “
cartonería
Cartonería or papier-mâché sculptures are a traditional handcraft in Mexico. The papier-mâché works are also called "carton piedra" (rock cardboard) for the rigidness of the final product. These sculptures today are generally made for certain ...
” which is also used to create
alebrije
Alebrijes () are brightly colored Mexican folk art sculptures of fantastical (fantasy/mythical) creatures.
Description
The monos de madera or alebrijes as they are called in Spanish were originally created by carver Manuel Jimenez but soon becam ...
s and skeletal figures for
Day of the Dead
The Day of the Dead ( es, Día de Muertos or ''Día de los Muertos'') is a holiday traditionally celebrated on November 1 and 2, though other days, such as October 31 or November 6, may be included depending on the locality. It is widely obser ...
. However, the craft has waned with the only workshops making and selling them located in
Celaya
Celaya (; ) is a city and its surrounding municipalities of Mexico, municipality in the state of Guanajuato, Mexico, located in the southeast quadrant of the state. It is the third most populous city in the state, with a 2005 census population of 3 ...
in the state of
Guanajuato
Guanajuato (), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Guanajuato ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Guanajuato), is one of the 32 states that make up the Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided into 46 municipalities and its capital city i ...
, mostly as collector’s items. The project’s aim was to create more contemporary designs through a series of free workshops to the public. The resulting dolls have been displayed in Mexico City,
Japan
Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
and
Portugal
Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic ( pt, República Portuguesa, links=yes ), is a country whose mainland is located on the Iberian Peninsula of Southwestern Europe, and whose territory also includes the Atlantic archipelagos of ...
and featured in a number of Mexican publications.
Lupita dolls
Miss Lupita is named after “Lupita” (diminutive for Guadalupe) dolls. These are hard papier-mâché dolls with origins in the late colonial to early
Independence
Independence is a condition of a person, nation, country, or state in which residents and population, or some portion thereof, exercise self-government, and usually sovereignty, over its territory. The opposite of independence is the statu ...
period, created by poorer families to imitate more expensive imported dolls from Spain.
The papier-mâché technique is properly called cartonería, making a very hard surface when dry. The body and head are made separate from the limbs, which are attached with cords in order to allow them to move. This technique has been used to make a number of crafts up to this day, most notably to make alebrijes and skeletal and other figures for Day of the Dead.
However, Lupita dolls have lost popularity. Today they are made and sold only in workshops in Celaya in the state of Guanajuato, often as collectors’ items.
Workshops in Mexico City
![PitaMissLupita](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c9/PitaMissLupita.jpg)
The Miss Lupita project was initiated in Mexico City in 2010, with the aim being the revitalization of the craft of making dolls. The name is based on the Mexico City name for the dolls (in Celaya they are simply called cartonería dolls).
The base of the project would be to introduce new and contemporary designs based on urban culture through workshops in Mexico City.
The project was initiated by Carolina Esparragoza in January 2010, who continues to run it.
Carolina Esparragoza was born in Mexico City in 1977. She is a graduate of the
.Aside from the Miss Lupita project, she has worked on video and art object projects as part of groups such as Malestares and La misma historia. She has exhibited her work in Mexico and the United States.
![MemoriaLupita02](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c0/MemoriaLupita02.JPG)
The project was initially sponsored by the
Fondo Nacional para la Cultura y las Artes (FONCA).
The project has also included the collaboration of artist Maria Eugenia Chellet, artisan Carlos Derramadero and writer
Ana Clavel.
Six free workshops were held in different parts of Mexico City in 2010 and 2011 with the only requirement being the attendance at all six. The workshops consisted of the history of the dolls along with how to make them. The workshops had over 100 participants with men and women between 12 and 71 years of age. They included professionals, artists, artisans, housewives, students and professionals. One participant traveled from
Maravatío
Maravatío is a municipality in the Mexican state of Michoacán, representing 1.17% of its land area, or 691.55 km2.
Etymology
The modern word Maravatío comes from the Purépecha word Marhabatio, meaning a precious place or thing.
Hist ...
,
Michoacán
Michoacán, formally Michoacán de Ocampo (; Purépecha: ), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Michoacán de Ocampo ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Michoacán de Ocampo), is one of the 32 states which comprise the Federal Entities of ...
to attend.
The resulting 134 dolls have dimensions of about 45x16x15cm and took on average 25 hours to complete.
Designs included dancers,
lucha libre
Lucha libre (, meaning "freestyle wrestling" or literally translated as "free fight") is the term used in Latin America for professional wrestling. Since its introduction to Mexico in the early 20th century, it has developed into a unique form ...
figures, mermaids,
Godzilla
is a fictional monster, or '' kaiju'', originating from a series of Japanese films. The character first appeared in the 1954 film ''Godzilla'' and became a worldwide pop culture icon, appearing in various media, including 32 films produc ...
figures, ladies-of-the-night, goddesses, cats as well as one made in the images of famous women in Mexico.
The dolls were given names such as Siempre Viva, Hanami, La Memoria, Lupita Pecadora, Lupita Auxiliadora, Amalia, Gena, Adela, Encanto, Lupe la Brava and Andy.(mktokyo) Andy is a homage to
Andy Warhol
Andy Warhol (; born Andrew Warhola Jr.; August 6, 1928 – February 22, 1987) was an American visual artist, film director, and producer who was a leading figure in the visual art movement known as pop art. His works explore the relationsh ...
.
The resulting dolls were initially exhibited in different cultural centers in the city:
Casa Talavera Cultural Center
Casa Talavera Cultural Center is located in the La Merced (neighborhood), La Merced neighborhood of the historic center of Mexico City. The building dates back to either the 16th or early 17th century and was the home of the Marquis de Aguayo. In 1 ...
, the Comunidad Barros Sierre and the Centro Cultural Teatro del Pueblo, Foro Cultural Antigua Fábrica Textil El Águila.
An exhibition of 20 dolls was held in Mexico City in September 2011 at the lobby of the Salón Digna Ochoa at the headquarters of the Comisión de Derechos Humanos del Distrito Federal.
The José María Velasco Gallery named the project its Piece of the Month, exhibiting five of the dolls. "Beauty contests" were also held featuring the dolls and winners appeared in publications such as Artes de México, Arqueología Mexicana, Culturas Populares and others from
CONACULTA
The Secretariat of Culture ( es, Secretaría de Cultura), formerly known as the National Council for Culture and Arts ( es, Consejo Nacional para la Cultura y las Artes or CONACULTA), is a Mexican government agency in charge of the nation's museums ...
, those of the
Universidad Autónoma de la Ciudad de México
Universidad (Spanish for "university") may refer to:
Places
* Universidad, San Juan, Puerto Rico
* Universidad (Madrid)
Football clubs
* Universidad SC, a Guatemalan football club that represents the Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala
...
and Mexico City Secretary of Culture.
International exhibitions and workshops
![MissLupita05](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b1/MissLupita05.jpg)
In 2011, the Miss Lupita project was invited to visit Japan as a cultural exchange. This included an exhibit at the Sokei Academy and the Sagio-Plaza Gallery, workshops and a talk given at
Tokyo Zokei University
is a private university in Hachioji, Tokyo, Japan, founded in 1966 by Japanese art educator, fashion designer and design journalist, Yoko Kuwasawa (1910-1977). It is a four-year art college offering both bachelor's and master's degrees in studio ...
.
The first exhibition was at the Sagio-Plaza Gallery in Sengawa, Tokyo with twelve Lupitas, eleven made at the Mexico City workshops and one made at a traditional workshop in Celaya. It was followed by a second exhibition of five Lupitas as part of a larger exhibition called México Chido.
The workshops were nearly canceled as a result of the
2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami
The occurred at 14:46 JST (05:46 UTC) on 11 March. The magnitude 9.0–9.1 (M) undersea megathrust earthquake had an epicenter in the Pacific Ocean, east of the Oshika Peninsula of the Tōhoku region, and lasted approximately six minutes ...
, but after meetings with officials it was decided to continue but at a later date.
Participants in the workshops were originally to be giving Mexican traditional shopping bags as gifts, but instead it was decided that these would be sold for a nominal fee, with the proceeds going to the
Japanese Red Cross
The is the Japanese affiliate of the International Red Cross.
The Imperial Family of Japan traditionally has supported the society, with the Empress as Honorary President and other imperial family members as vice presidents. Its headquarters i ...
.
In November 2011, five workshops were given in Tokyo similar to those given in Mexico City.
There were almost sixty participants in the workshops ranging from 25 to 55 years of age and included artists, students and workers who made a total of 59 dolls. Thirteen of the resulting dolls were displayed along with traditional Japanese dolls at the ATLIA Kawaguchi Art Gallery.
The success of the visit in Japan prompted an invitation to the
Museo do Brinquedo Museo may refer to:
* Museo, 2018 Mexican drama heist film
*Museo (Naples Metro)
Museo is a station on line 1 of the Naples Metro. It was opened on 5 April 2001 as the eastern terminus of the section of the line between Vanvitelli and Museo. ...
or Sintra Toy Museum in Portugal sponsored by the Mexican embassy in Portugal.
This museum has a collection of over 40,000 toys collected over 50 years by João Arbués Moreira and is one of the most important in the world.
The exhibit of four traditional style Lupita dolls from Celaya and eighteen from the 2010 workshops were on display from late 2011 to early 2012.
The trips abroad were sponsored by Fundación
BBVA Bancomer
Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria, S.A. (), better known by its initialism BBVA, is a Spanish multinational financial services company based in Madrid and Bilbao, Spain. It is one of the largest financial institutions in the world, and is present ...
, the Dirección General de Cooperación Educativa y Cultural, the
Secretaría de Relaciones Exteriores
The Mexican Secretariat of Foreign Affairs ( es, Secretaría de Relaciones Exteriores, ''SRE'', lit: Secretariat of External Relations) is the government department responsible for Mexico's foreign affairs.
Mexico currently has 80 embassies, 3 ...
and the Mexican embassy in Japan.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:project, Miss Lupita
Culture in Mexico City
Toy culture
Traditional dolls
Papier-mâché
2010 establishments in Mexico