Cartoneria 2023

The Mexican Tradition
of paper mache

Exhibition Date: Through - May 7, 2023

North Riverside Park Mall presents a revitalization of 20 paper mache works of art from the 2022 Cantigny Park exhibition.

In conjunction with the Mexican Cultural Center DuPage, Alebrijes: Mexican Folk Art Creatures celebrates Mexican culture and art in a paper mache sculpture format seen primarily in Mexico City.

The North Riverside Park Mall Cartoneria Exhibition features 3 artists-in-residence restoring their paper mache sculptures. These art pieces were previously housed outdoors at McCormick Foundation’s Cantigny Park for 5 months, and warehoused in an open air structure. The elements take a toll on these fantastical creatures. This exhibition features the artists onsite, repairing and repainting the paper mache. Some pieces will be completely stripped of existing paper mache, exposing the wire frames. Visitors will have the opportunity to learn paper mache skills and help restore several of the pieces under the guidance of the artists. Experience this one-of-a-kind exhibition and the journey of these creations from Mexico City to Cantigny Park in Wheaton to North Riverside Park Mall, and museum destinations afterwards.

What is Catoneria?

Cartoneria is a Mexican Folk art form that involves the creation of decorative items using paper and cardboard. The term comes from the Spanish word “carton,” which means cardboard. The process of cartoneria typically involves shaping and gluing layers of paper into the desired form, and then painting the finished product. It has a long history in Mexico. Cartoneria artists often work in family or community workshops, passing down techniques and styles from generation to generation. Cartoneria is a broader and more recognized artform that includes the art of Alebrijes.

What are Alebrijes?

The word alebrijes, pronounced ah-leh-bree-hehs, refers to imaginary creatures that possess elements from different animals. They originated in the 1930’s from the vivid dreams of Mexico City artist, Pedro Linares. The artistic tradition of alebrijes gained popularity with “Coco,” the 2017 Disney Pixar film.