Efraín Caballero Sánchez was initially a musician by profession, for 28 years he had been working in a cultural center in the community, there here learned the
process of making cardboard through a fellow artist who taught him the basics
of making cardboard figures.

In his house it is a tradition to place the altar for the Day of the Dead celebration with the elements that it should have, including putting up photographs of the deceased.
One year, a fellow musician died, but he never had a photograph of him to place
on the altar, so Efraín decided to represent him in a cardboard figure, at the same time he did the same to represent his relatives and other friends who had already passed away.

Later, as musicians, in 2003, Efraín had the opportunity to accompany a regional dance company on a tour of Spain. Though their expenses were paid, they had to still pay for the productions at the end of the tour. One way to get economic resources for expenses was to make some cardboard catrinas to sell at the presentations.

In 2015  they participated as exhibitors in a festival called “son para milo,” in Mexico City, it was a four-day event of Mexican music, and was the first formal event where they had cartonería for sale. Their work was very well accepted and they saw that it could be an excellent
opportunity to change professions officially, and since that year Efraín has
been a a cardboard artisan.

There are two people who make the cardboard art. Originally, his partner, Carmen Barreto, was his assistant and apprentice, but now she has developed the technique and the craft to be a creator of her own pieces and pieces that we make as a collective.

They are not a cooperative, they are a collective, initially it was a multidisciplinary group that made music, theater and puppets in public spaces. They implemented the cartonería as learning workshops because they needed to make puppets, masks and
scenery for their work. Among the objectives was to be able to make a decent living from this craft, as well as experimentation and creation of pieces that allow them to contribute to Mexico's craft heritage

Feria Maestros del Arte 2025

AWARDS

·      Participation in several exhibitions in Mexico City such as the Day of the Dead altar at the Museo del Carmen in San Angel.

Efraín Caballero Sánchez

·      2020 First place in Cardboard in the XLV National Popular Art Grand Prize Contest organized by FONART

·       2023 First place in Cardboard and paper VII State Contest Life and Work organized by the Institute for Research and Promotion of Crafts of the State of Mexico. (IIFAEM)

·       Sole Prize in the category Cardboard and Toys in the XI Edition of the National Contest Great Masters and Masters of the Craft Heritage of Mexico year 2024

María del Carmen Barreto Solano

·       2024 Participation in the XLIX Edition of the National Popular Art Grand Prize Contest organized by FONART

ARTIST INFORMATION

Valle del Palo Alto 43-4, Col Valle
de Aragón 2ª Sección

Ciudad Nezahualcóyotl, Estado de
Mexico, 57100   

cel 55 4728 4678     tel 55 5712 9765 

artebajolaciudad@yahoo.com.mx 

Facebook Colectivo Arte bajo la
Ciudad    Instagram colectivo_arte_bajo_la_ciudad