In San Miguel de Allende, Mexico

Lupita dolls were originally created as a substitute for the far more expensive porcelain dolls about 200 years ago in Mexico. We fell in love with this hard Papel Mache doll with movable arms and legs. Mysteriously, these dolls wore often very tight clothing with flower patterns. We really wanted to create this doll having more amazing Mexican children’s soul in this world and the other world of dead that Mexicans teach us existing.

Making Lupita dolls or playing with them is quite rare nowadays, because of cheaper dolls in plastics. Luckily we found great papel mache workshop in San Miguel de Allende. Pedro Cruz Hernandez and his family are running this Papel Mache heaven. After we sent him a drawing and concept text, he started to make mould with clay and finally all the creatures were waiting us when we visited him second time.

San Miguel de Allende is famous for tourist and people go there to enjoy town, but we go all the way there spending tens of hours in the bus to meet this Pedro’s family and workshop. We feel sometimes crazy. We saw him and his family marching to the church one Sunday afternoon with the sound of church bell ringing. It was like the scenery in the movie, with the Mexican sunset and the beautiful church of San Miguel de Allende. We had a holy hugs for farewell till next time we meet again.

Master Pedro Hernandez showing the principle of papel mache. Pedro creates all the new forms and also plans and casts the moulds.
Felicitas Lugo paints and finishes the works.

Work of the Masters