Catrinas en Mi Ciudad

Ricardo Soltero is the creator of the Tall Catrinas, one of the most iconic figures of Día de Muertos in Mexico. Soltero first created his monumental Catrinas in 2011 for Hollywood Forever Cemetery in Los Angeles, home to the largest Day of the Dead celebration outside of Mexico. Standing 8 feet tall, these vibrant cultural sculptures quickly became his artistic hallmark, introducing audiences around the world to the elegance and symbolism of La Catrina. 

The monumental papier-mâché skeletons were hand-crafted in 2024 in Denver by the Mexico City-based Cooperativa Jaén Cartonería. Founded in 2011 as a family project, Jaén Cartonería is dedicated to preserving the Día de Muertos tradition through monumental cardboard and papier-mâché creations displayed in public spaces. Over the years, their work has gained national and international recognition for its artistry and cultural storytelling, including giant catrinas, masks, and elaborate themed exhibitions such as the one on view at the Arts Complex. Catrinas en Mi Ciudad owns the only monumental skeleton pieces of Jaén Cartonería in the United States. 

Osvaldo Ruelas Ramirez is the Mexican artist that created the 4 colorful masks that are on display in The Galleria. Osvaldo is a seasoned cardboard artist who has spearheaded and directed numerous projects of high importance for the Centro de las Artes de Guanajuato in Salamanca, Guanajuato, Mexico, and his work has led to several recognitions in the arts of cardboard, graffiti, and engraving. Ruelas Ramirez’s work has been displayed in international stages in the United States and Japan. From 2007 to 2021 Ruelas Ramirez became a teacher for the Casa de la Cultura in Salamanca, Guanajuato and in 2018, he was awarded the recognition for educator of the year.   

Artists Yolanda Reséndiz and Jesús Rentería are industrial designers who graduated from the Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana, in Xochimilco, Mexico. Since the beginning of their careers, they have explored paper as a raw material, transforming it into their own language that combines research, technique, and inspiration from the colorful culture of Mexico.

Their artistic career has been distinguished by the creation of the Colección Serpentina, a project that has allowed them to exhibit in both national and international museums and fairs, from the MoMA Design Store in New York to the International Paper Art Biennial in Shanghai, China.

Colección Serpentina transforms paper into a contemporary reinterpretation of Mexican culture, shaping objects and projects that connect with Mexican roots. The artists’ brand has developed its own production technique that transforms strips of paper into functional and sculptural pieces that are both durable and long-lasting.  

Each Colección Serpentina piece is inspired by the themes and colors of Mexican folk art but translated into a contemporary language that responds to urban lifestyles, cultural tourism, and an audience that values objects with meaning. Colección Serpentina’s hallmark is the fusion of tradition with artistic techniques of the future.  This includes the union of manual processes with new technological tools such as artificial intelligence to generate new, innovative works of art that still maintain the essence of the handmade.

Colección Serpentina designed the calavera (skull) wall art that is hanging in the Buell Theatre window box and the fiberglass calavera (skull) that was made incorporating 3-D strips of colorful recycled paper.

Areli Zaragoza Gutierrez is a visual artist, illustrator, and muralist whose inspiration comes from her Mexican culture and the indigenous tribes that coexist in Mexico. She graduated from the Instituto Tecnologico de Monterrey with a degree in Industrial Design. For the past five years Areli’s calling has been to work as a visual artist; this path has given her the opportunity to collaborate with major brands such as Adidas, Sephora, Topo Chico, Energizer, and Sherwin Williams, among others. Areli was selected as the Latin American Artist to design the Netflix corporate offices in Mexico, Colombia, and Argentina. She has also participated as an invited artist in the Mexico City based art initiatives CowParade and Mexicraneos. The live painting on the Nicho box will be Areli’s second time as an invited artist in the United States. 

"You are invited to step inside the skull and peep through the eyes." Designed by Catrinas en Mi Ciudad, Created by Jaén Cartonería.