Local artists in Mexico - Margarita Fick

As the country starts to prepare for this year's Day of the Dead celebrations, one artist stands out as being directly inspired by this particular festival. Margarita Fick is a self-taught folk artist producing handcut unique papel picado (paper cut ) creations often featuring Catrina figures and calaveras ( skeletons ).

Born in Guadalajara, she started paper cutting at the age of four, helping her family make homemade paper cut decorations for family fiestas, but she did not seriously resume her art until in her early forties. She is the only female artist currently in Mexico still producing such work. The originals here that are in my collection, are only large postcard size, but she does also work on a much larger scale, and the delicacy of her images is quite exquisite. I hope to acquire more soon when I return to Patzcuaro.

She currently resides in Queretaro, and you can read an interesting account of meeting her on Billieblog, plus there is more information available at www.mexicoetc.com/fick, and work for sale via contacting mariannecarlson@gmail.com in Houston. Her work is also sometimes for sale in the shop Zocalo in San Miguel de Allende. Her images are now displayed in galleries in USA and private collections.