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Art (Arte)
Hola! Welcome to the most fantasizing section to bless your eyes which is Mexico’s arts! For this section, we are going to take you on the amazing journey of how Mexico is known for its fantastic arts.
Have fun throughout the journey!
Mexican Folk Art (Arte Popular Mexicano)
Source: DailyHive, 2016
First of all, what is Folks Arts? Folk art is work created by self-taught artists and they haven't attended art school or received official training in their craft. Objects classified as folk art are often manufactured by hand and might range from sculpture to pottery to painting.
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Do you know that folk arts and crafts are referred to as "artesana" in Mexico? In Mexico, there is a wide range of artesana. This is due to the fact that Mexico has a diverse range of raw minerals and ethnic groupings. Mexico has a diverse range of natural resources, including clay, wood, metal, stones, and plants. Mexican folk art is known for its vibrant colours and ornate embellishments, which give it an appealing edge. Besides, the most surprising is, On October 31st through November 2nd, this form of decorating is utilized to commemorate the Day of the Dead. Those who have died's family and friends assemble to pray and remember them.
Sugar Skull (Cráneo del azúcar)
Source: Apartment Therapy, 2020
Source: SStylishEve, 2014
Sugar Skulls? What is that? By looking at the images above, you must think it is unique and have been wondering what is the reason of doing all of this. Well, ‘Sugar Skulls’ are a traditional Mexican folk art from the Southern Mexico that is used to commemorate the Day of the Dead. They represent a soul that has passed away, and the names of loved ones may be engraved on their foreheads. Do you also know that to mark the return of the person's spirit, family members lay the skulls on an altar or on the loved one's grave? For instance, home altars are decorated with sugar skulls, marigolds, candles, incense, and special meals. Sugar skulls are colourful, glittery, and cheerful, despite the fact that they take a lot of time to prepare.
Ceramic (Cerámica)
Source: Dreamstime, 2019
Besides, do you also know that Mexico is famous for its ceramics? Mexican ceramics date back to the pre-Spanish era, when the country was inhabited by indigenous peoples. These indigenous people made ceramics by shaping it with their hands and they didn't utilise pottery wheels to make their creations. Each household manufactured their own pinched pots or coiled pieces, while larger pieces were outsourced to craftsmen. Open fire and natural colours were employed by the potters.
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Ok here is the fact, the oldest ceramic pieces discovered in Mesoamerica date from 4500 years ago, when the population began to become sedentary. The gourd-shaped clay pieces discovered during that time period were most likely utilised to transport water. For instance, hand-coiled and low-fired Mesoamerican pottery was frequently slipped or polished, and sometimes painted with mineral colours. Each region developed its unique ceramic techniques and styles. What is interesting about ceramic is it was employed for a variety of functions, including domestic, ceremonial, burial, and building.
Mexican Talavera
Source: La Fuente, 2009
This is the most aesthetic and precious part in which we are talking about the Mexican’s amazing porcelain which is ‘Talavera’! Talavera is a style of pottery, named after the Spanish city of Talavera de la Reina and has received worldwide appreciation for its great quality and beauty. Talavera's history is as vivid as its different patterns since it is a blend of indigenous and European creativity.
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Talavera is a type of pottery that belongs to the Majolica category of ceramics, which encompasses all earthenware involving handcrafted pottery, ceramics, and art. This kind of clay art was first established in ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia and was later adopted and mastered by the Chinese. During the Moorish invasion and subsequent occupation in the 13th century, Spain was reluctantly exposed to Majolica. As the Renaissance swept across Europe, Spanish artisans developed the art of making Majolica ceramics.
Painting (Cuadro)
Source: Desain Rumah, 2017
This is the most amazing part in which Diego Rivera is the most famous Mexico’s artist and his paintings feature brilliant colours and portrayals of Mexican culture. Muralism, a movement that used large-scale wall art to educate the public, was founded by Rivera. ‘The History of Mexico’ is a set of paintings by Diego Rivera that span three massive walls within a magnificent stairwell of Mexico City's National Palace. In Rivera’s words, the mural represents “the entire history of Mexico from the Conquest through the Mexican Revolution down to the ugly present.
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Why Murals?
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Rivera and other artists considered easel painting to be "aristocratic," because it had been the domain of the wealthy for ages. They preferred mural painting because it allowed them to present subjects on a large scale to a vast audience.
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A hallmark of Mexican arts of crafts is the vibrant colour.
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Don Alfonso is a well-known Day of the Dead artist in Mexico.
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Frida Kahlo's self-portraits frequently featured a moustache and a unibrow.
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Seventeen huge heads from the Olmec civilization have been unearthed in Mexico. They each weigh an average of 8 tonnes.
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Folk art is displayed in Mexico City's Museo de Arte Popular (Popular Art Museum).