Tucked into a small space near the corner of Avenida
Hidalgo and Avenida López Mateos sits an unassuming little store, Artesanías
Glenssy.
This store has intrigued me for
quite some time. The walls are hung with
brilliantly coloured, very scary creatures.
Does this man have nightmares? I wondered: Nightmares that he transforms into vivid three-dimensional sculptures?
I’m certain the two-headed creature with
three rows of pointy teeth and a bright yellow tongue was the main villain in
one of the Alien movies!
In an attempt to protect
his intellectual property to prevent other artists from copying his ideas, the
artist has posted many signs in his store: no photographs. I am a camera buff. Photographs help me write about things that
interest me, so I decided to approach the artist and see if he would be willing
to chat and be photographed. As it
turns out, he is quite fluent in English, which is a good thing, as I am still
struggling with Spanglish.
His name is Emilio Sosa Medina, and he was born in Yobain, Yucatan, in 1955.
A political activist since he was a teenager, Emilio
left his hometown in 1974, moving to Isla Mujeres, where he met an island woman who
took him under her wing, helping him find work.
He first worked as a kitchen assistant and then as a bartender, but
continued to yearn for a creative outlet for his energies.
In 1986, Emilio took lessons at the local Casa de la Cultura to learn papier-maché techniques, and he became entranced by the possibilities. Using up to 40 kilos (87 pounds) of newsprint
for some of his larger sculptures, Emilio creates supernatural beings from Maya
mythology plus his own fantastic monsters. His imagination is astounding.
Crafting each intricate piece is a painstakingly slow process. The piece he
is currently working on will take up to three years to complete.
Layer upon layer of newsprint is carefully
formed over a wire frame and left for several days to dry naturally in the warm
Caribbean climate. Several coats of vivid
acrylics followed by a final glaze of clear polymer resin give the grey papier-maché vibrancy and character.
Content to live simply with his three children and four grandchildren
nearby, Emilio is blazing a new trail in folk art. Even though Mexican mask folk-art has been in
existence for thousands of years, and was a well-established part of life when
the Spanish arrived, Emilio brings new life to the art form.
His one-of-a-kind pieces enhance interior
spaces in homes on Isla Mujeres and around the world.
Hasta luego
Lynda, Lawrie, Thomas, Sparky, and Chica
Murder. Mayhem. Revenge. Romance.
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