In residence at NRPM from March 17 – April 19.
Perla Miriam Salgado Zamorano
Xochimilco, Mexico City
Instagram @perlamiriamsalgado
Facebook: miri.salgado
Facebook: La LULA Juguetes con Tradición
Artist Bio: Youtube
Toy Maker, Artisan, Wife, and Mother. A creative and vibrant soul.
Miriam’s creative journey began 16 years ago when she was enamored with nature’s patterns and colors. Her expertise includes toy crafting, and Cartoneria. She expresses her love of folk art through her creations and is proud to be a part of the Mexico’s crafter’s guild. She describes her style as jazzy, vibrant and full of colors that pop. Miriam is grateful for insects, flowers, and the textures in animal’s skins, and takes inspiration from nature’s many patterns. Spontaneously painting each of her alebrije creatures, she likes to let each piece influence her work. In Mexico there are 12 million artisans who are neither famous or recognized but they are the ones that inspire Miriam the most. These nameless artists bring the magic of folk lore and color to Mexico.
Miriam loves where she comes from, Xochimilco is a beautiful place with amazing people, food, folk art and nature. However, she is excited to receive global recognition. Miriam and her husband, Alejandro, have now participated in over 30 individual and collective exhibitions on monumental alebrijes. They won first place on their first ever alebrije creation. In 2019 one of their creations traveled to France and was part of the El Dorado 3000 event.
Through her journey to Chicago and NRPM she hopes to spread the magic of Mexican folk art and hopes that people like her alebrijes. She wishes to engage with the local community and learn from them. Miriam and her husband, Alejandro are currently at NRPM restoring their alebrije creatures using the Cartoneria technique.
Come watch Miriam in action as she restores a few of her alebrije creatures and enjoy some of the works featured at Cantigny Park, including spirit animals.
Fun facts about Miriam:
Won the FONART grand prize in 2009
Won 1st place with her husband Alejandro with their piece “ La Patria es Primero”
Names her alebrijes after her kids and things she loves
Miriam likes to speak positive affirmations into each of her creations