Juan made his very first wood mask when he was 10 years old, as he wanted so badly to take part in his hometown Pastorela (a Christmas celebration where masks take relevance each year). That deep, innocent wish took the young Juan Horta to one of his uncles, a peasant who made masks only as a hobby for his own family and friends. Who was to say then that Juan's perseverance would make him one of the best mask makers in the world?

Juan Horta has exhibited his art throughout Mexico. His masks were selected by the "Ballet Folclorico de Mexico", always featured in their world-wide performances. He is also a multiple first prize winner of Mexico's Mask Maker Competition. Among his many achievements, he has been a featured artist at the school of the Art Institute of Chicago and the Field Museum of Natural History.

Don Juan works primarily in wood, usually painting and lacquering the finished mask.

Nowadays his five sons , residing with he and his wife in Tocuaro, Michoacan, Mexico work alongside Juan to preserve the heritage of this fine craftsmanship for many generations of Horta sons to come.

Each mask is unique, a collector's item with gallery owners and individual collectors traveling from all over the world to his taller in Tocuaro, Michocan to buy his masks.

learn more about masks

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CATRINA

This exceptional and highly prestigious painter and sculptor, born in Michoacan, has always been fascinated by Death. Death is a constant in his work, it appears everywhere in the shape of symbolisms or skeletons and skulls. In 1982 Juan discovered the wonders of clay and starts creating "Catrinas".

What is a "Catrina"? (conceited lady)
In the 19th century, a famous engraver and newspaper illustrator named Jose Guadalupe Posada, as part of a political satire, invented the " La Catrina", a female dandy mocking the european-influenced ruling class of Mexico during the autocratic rule of Porfirio Diaz. Throughout the years the catrina has been reproduced by many artists, but never with such talent as Juan Torres, the catrina maker. His catrinas are unique, never two to be the same. Don Juan's work has been imitated by many, always without success.

Nowadays Don Juan doesn't make many Catrinas in his workshop. Just a few are made by him and his five pupils, who are under constant supervision by the master. EACH CATRINA MADE BY JUAN TORRES IS A COLLECTOR'S ITEM.

EMILIANO ZAPATA SCULPTURE

Emiliano Zapata was born in the Mexican state of Morelos in 1879. This legendary hero grew up to become the most famous leader of the Mexican Revolution.

Raised in extreme poverty, Emiliano's family hut was surrounded by impressive "haciendas" (estates) owned by squandering masters. "Dueños de vidas y haciendas" (owners of lives and estates). In those times, the life of a cow was more valuable than the life of a peasant, the life of an "indigena".

Each lavish estate used to have its own "tienda de raya" (grocery store). The purpose was to retake the petty cash earned under extremely harsh conditions by the peasants. This was not only unfair, but bluntly cruel. The system was such, that rural people were indebted for life with the "hacienda" store.

Since money was never enough to cover even the most basic needs of the laborers, they were forced to borrow from the land owners in order to be able to continue buying staples at the "tienda". The result, a father could die of an illness, then the debt was directly passed on to his son, turning the lives of each subsequent generation into never-ending nightmares.

In 1909 a bitter and courageous Zapata began recruiting an insurgent army even before the beginning of the Revolution which officially started in 1910 to overthrow the dictator Porfirio Diaz.

The "Zapatistas" demanded "tierra, justicia y libertad" (land, justice and freedom) for their people.

Zapata remained in opposition, fighting against terrible repression until 1919 when he was lured to attend a meeting with the government troops at the Hacienda de Chinameca in his native Morelos where he was ambushed and gunned down. Since then, little has been done to improve the lives of the poverty-stricken.

Nowadays, a hero to the suppressed, his memory is an inspiration and source of "hope". The Zapatista Army of National Liberation under the leadership of the "Subcomandante Marcos" is still struggling against the social injustices that prevails in this country as well as in other Latin American countries.

Quoting Emiliano Zapata…

" PREFIERO MORIR DE PIE QUE VIVIR SIEMPRE ARRODILLADO " (Better to die on my feet than to live forever on my knees. )

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Puerta del Cielo Galeria (door to heaven) is the gallery of Marco Antonio Martinez. Inspired by his devotion and love of Maria, Marco is noted for his exquisite, elaborate sacred art designs. Each piece reflects the soul-purpose of his sacred art -- to inspire and recreate in the mind of the beholder the spirit of the Christ through the contemplation of art. A master wood carver, Marco Antonio uses a variety of styles and techniques to create his original and innovative gilded religious art pieces, including but not limited to gold leafing and natural elaboration of recycled paper and fibers.

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Almost 30 years working in the fine art of wood sculpturing, and striving for excellence have created an unparalled reputation in Michoacan for the late Don Salvador Tera and his four surviving sons as the best fine art, wood sculpturers in Michoacan.

Once a mask-maker from the famous mask-making town of Tocuaro, Michoacan, Don Salvador saw the opportunity to integrate and build upon his mask-making art form into the fine art of wood sculpturing. To achieve excellence in his trade, Don Salvador applied himself for five years at the workshop of wood sculpturing in Bellas Artes, Mexico City. A devoted father, he passed on this knowledge of the wood sculpturing art form to his four sons. The respect his four sons have for their father is immediately evident when you walk into their "taller" (workshop) and see the alter created in reverence to their this forward-thinking, talented, hard-working man.

Today, the works of art of the Taller de Don Salvador Tera e Hijos is a team work. These four talented artists each take part in the completion of their exquisite creations applying their unique, individual talent. The Tera brothers have works of art that are permanently exhibited in churches throughout Mexico as sacred art. Even in the Vatican, a masterly sculptured Madonna of Lourdes by the Tera brothers can be found.

Their marvelous replicas of renowed artists such as Michel Angelo and Leonardo Davinci, among others, will in time become keepsake treasures of increasing value from generation to generation for those sensitive enough to recognize the beauty of this exceptional long lasting art form.

Red cedar and mahogany from the coasts of Mexico and Central America are the primary woods that become some of the most amazing works of art.

The Tera brothers accept custom orders for hand-carved wooden doors and busts made from your photographs. Contact us for more information.

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The Tera brothers also display their Santos art collection in The Art of Mexico, Gallery 4-II.

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go to Tera II gallery

Roberto Castro Hernández is by himself one of the biggest names in Santa Clara del Cobre, his place of birth. This well known town has gained international recognition for its fine artisans in copper.

The trade has been around for centuries, but in 1907 Roberto's grandfather on his mother's side passed on his teachings to his family members. Roberto's cousins have also followed into the tradition, but only to preserve the forever existing designs.

This amazing artist started playing and working with this beautiful metal at the tender age of 10. Roberto's talent pushed him to challenge himself to break away, to become an original. In time, he started experimenting with different techniques. As he gained experience, he became the creator of his own pieces aiming to change copper forever. His copper pieces are among the most unique made in the region.

His excellent work is often requested and cherished among architects and interior designers of the new current known as Mexican contemporary construction. This new architectonic expression is based on preserving the "Mexicanidad" in its designs, but at the same time, it is about constant innovation. Roberto's pieces are exposed in hotels all over the country.

Just to mention a few, the following are among the many exhibitions in which Roberto has participated and his works of art in copper have been admired and awarded.

1998.- Mexico City - Casa de las Artesanias
1999.- Boca del Rio, Veracruz - Instituto Nacional de Bellas Artes
2000.- México City - Colegio Mexicano de Arquitectos
2003.- Madrid, Spain - Muestra Artesanal Latinoamericana

learn more about Roberto's techniques

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PEDRO HERNANDEZ CARLOS is the most celebrated contemporary Mexican pineapple pottery artist. The essence of his exquisite designs captures the original meaning of his art form as a tribute to the pine tree. Not many people know that piña (pineapple) art was originally pino (pine) art. It makes sense, however, as the region of Mexico where Pedro lives was at one time covered with pine tree forests and the people of the region dependent upon the pine tree. So, for awhile pineapple art was the rage and through Pedro's work, we are witnessing the return of pino art. But more than that is what you see in Pedro's work -- a graceful, flowing, exquisite art form honoring the "diosa del pino" (pine goddess).

Pedro Hernandez Carlos participates in numerous exhibitions and contests (concursos), always with great success. He caught the attention of the POTTERY OF MEXICO group who filmed and produced a DVD called "Pineapples of Patamban and San José de Gracia". Here is an except from the DVD.

For more information on THE POTTERY OF MEXICO, and to purchase this incredible DVD, click here.
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go to the Pineapple Pottery Art Gallery

Mexican Mask-Making
For centuries mask-making has been a tradition in Mexico. During pre-Hispanic times, the Aztecs and other native civilizations used masks as part of their religious ceremonies. After the Spanish conquest, Christian traditions were incorporated into the folk art of mask-making.

Mexican masks are usually made of wood, with pieces of leather attached. Some of them have natural animal hair and genuine cow horns. The masks can be painted, lacquered, or left in a natural state (cruda).

The art of mask-making not only demonstrates imagination, but a great deal of fantasy, as well as decorative and creative talent.

Masked Dances
Mexican Christian masked dances primarily dramatize the triumph of Christianity over paganism. These dances are usually performed on the feast day of a village's patron Saint or on celebrated religious holidays such as Carnival or Christmas. Dancers often perform in fulfillment of personal vows or as members of dance societies. Masks are usually worn only by men who impersonate female characters as well. Women may occasionally participate in certain dances, but they do not wear masks.

The community masked dance performances require huge expenditures of time and money. The successful presentation of masked dances is usually the responsibility of a community's "mayordomo". This is a voluntary civil-religious position held by a man or a woman, an outstanding member of the community.

The work of the mascarero (professional mask-maker) may more strongly reflect native traditions and dances. It is likely that the mascarero inherited the trade from his ancestors. In the region of Michoacan, masks are usually carved in woods from the copalillo, colorin and aguacate trees.

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ROBERTO'S COPPERSMITHING TECHNIQUE
Each piece you see in the COPPER COLLECTION gallery is crafted using the centuries-old bonfire method, just the furnace to heat the copper and a hammer to give it the shape. Each pieces is made from one sheet of copper (there are no welded joints). No sophisticated tools are used.

The raw material is culled from waste copper that is purchased in a number of places where copper is being constantly disposed of in the form of automobile parts and cables.

The process begins by placing the selected scrap material that has been cleared of impurities, into the center of the forge to be heated at high temperatures. The material is then covered with pine briquettes which produce an intense fire of even temperature.

Roberto shown in his "taller" with son Gustavo, who shows early signs of following in his father's footsteps.

After melting, the metal is left to cool in the forge. At the same time and with great ability and long tongs, portions of the incandescent copper are removed and placed over an anvil where it is beaten with mallets and hammers in order to achieve the desired size and form. This process of heating and hammering is repeated as many times as necessary. Once Roberto finishes shaping the piece, he reheats it only to sink it in very cold water in order to achieve those reddish oxidized tones. Then he proceeds with the decoration. The embossing is elaborated from the original piece of material by hammering and using other tools as well. A great amount of tools are used in this form of art. Chisels, pliers, tongs, scissors, shears, punches, mallets and hammers of all types and weights which Roberto uses to shape and emboss the pieces. The metal is beaten in a forge, which is a hole in the ground filled with "charanda" stones and compressed layers of ash from burnt oak. Charanda = red soil from the region. Since the copper in Roberto's pieces is left in its natural state, the care required is minimum: The patina protects the surface from oxidizing, so polishing is not necessary. If the piece gets dirty, wash with soap and water avoiding abrasives.

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