News — artesania

There are a lot of tongues wagging, and rightfully so, about the cultural appropriation (ripping off) of traditional textile designs created by indigenous artisans in Mexico. I am angry and concerned, and also alarmed by what's happening in the Mexican crafts world in general, due to globalization. While you as a customer can find more and more online shops professing to carry items "handmade in Mexico”, beware that there is no way to verify such a claim. No one is policing the internet-- whether it's articles on Facebook about a political candidate or a cute Etsy store selling inexpensive "peasant" blouses. Yuck,...

Artisans in Capula sell thousands of quickly produced pieces like the ones in these photos every week (cazuelas, bean pots, plates and bowls) because it’s traditional and VERY inexpensive. What a lot of people don’t realize is that there are artisans in Capula who create similar pottery for cooking and serving food, pero es otra cosa--it's a whole other thing. Their work is definitely not ordinary, and “charming” doesn’t even begin to describe it.

It’s been raining gatos y perros in California, or as they say in Michoacán— lloviendo a cántaros (raining buckets). We’re very lucky at my house to have views of trees and ferns, so it’s not a totally gray scene as we gaze out our windows in search of blue skies. But now during this wet winter I especially appreciate our colorful walls and Mexican folk art that have created a cheerful space— despite the dreary weather. As someone who is happier when the sun is shining, I understand that many people feel depressed or lethargic when experiencing weeks or months...

A new children's book by Mexico By Hand's founder Peggy Stein. Mila's Mask/ La Máscara de Mila is the story of a little girl in the United States who spends a great deal of time at her grandparent's house which is full of colorful Mexican folk art. 

I am very sad to share the news that we recently lost another great Mexican folk artist--Antonio Anita Mejia of Michoacán. I have known Antonio since 2003 and Mexico By Hand has bought and sold dozens of his beautiful pieces over the years. As a matter of fact, I have many right now waiting to be shipped from Mexico to California. I first noticed Antonio in front of his colorfully painted bateas and trasteritos at the Dia de los Muertos market in Patzcuaro, and took this photo. He was sitting just outside of the official artisans booth area at the...