Felipe Horta
Felipe Horta
Traditional mask painting
In September, alongside the opening of the exhibition Carla Fernández. The Future is Handmade, la Galerie du 19M is delighted to invite you to discover the traditional savoir-faire of woodcarving, for which the Mexican state of Michoacán is known, with craftsman Felipe Horta, who has been making masks across several generations thanks to a technique that is still being used today.
“If their [the artisans] techniques have survived, it is precisely because they are a form of expression. in them the subjective and the collective are simultaneously manifested.”
Workshops with the craftsman
During this workshop, participants will learn how to paint decoratively on a small traditional wooden mask hand-carved by Felipe Horta. Sometimes made from copalillo or avocado wood, other times from jacaranda, the masks from the town of Tócuaro in the Michoacán region come to life from a single piece of tree. They represent gods, animals, and natural forces.
Further information
During this workshop, children will learn how to paint decoratively on a small traditional wooden mask hand-carved by Felipe Horta.
Further information
In this free workshop, participants are invited to paint traditional figures and create a two-dimensional mask, while learning about Felipe Horta’s craft as a mask-maker. Participants will also be able to learn about the different meanings and symbols associated with the figures on the masks.
Further information
The artisan Felipe de Jesús Horta Tera is a creator of wooden craft, heir to the technique from his father Eustacio Horta Castillo. He learned at the age of 12 and currently shares the work with his children Juan Carlos, Víctor Hugo, Felipe, and Lizbeth. His wife, Elia Saucedo, also helps in the family workshop in the community of Tócuaro, in the Mexican state of Michoacán.
The hand-carved masks meticulously decorated with paint are traditionally used in festivals, religious, events and dances. Horta’s most representative mask is the one that gives life to the devil. With great imagination and skill, he has managed to make his pieces stand out and have a unique signature.
