Antonio Alonso: Oaxacan Tehuana Opossum Paper Mache
Antonio Alonso: Oaxacan Tehuana Opossum Paper Mache
This joyful papier-mâché figure by Antonio Alonso depicts a tlacuacha (opossum) wearing a traditional Tehuana gown, the richly embroidered costume of the Zapotec women from the Isthmus of Tehuantepec. Her dress bursts with colorful floral motifs, a nod to Oaxaca’s Guelaguetza festivities.
Antonio Alonso is one of Oaxaca’s rising masters of cartonería, the intricate art of papier-mâché sculpture. Working from his studio in Oaxaca City, he transforms recycled paper, cardboard, and wire into expressive figures that celebrate Mexico’s imagination and identity. His pieces often feature Xoloitzcuintles, opossums, Tehuanas (Oaxacan women), and other emblematic characters of Oaxacan life, blending humor, symbolism, and social reflection.
A graduate of Oaxaca’s School of Plastic and Visual Arts, Antonio discovered papier-mâché only a few years ago, yet has already won nine major competitions, including national and state awards.
