Miguel Ángel Torres: Breathing Life into Clay and Catrinas

On the road into the Michoacán pueblo of Capula, a massive sculpture of a catrina foretells the magic of the community. The catrina began
her life in the early 1900s when José Guadalupe Posada drew her as a cartoon satire of an upper class woman depicted as a skeleton in fancy dress. These days she’s a cultural icon, a folk symbol central to Mexican identity, marking the arrival of the monarch butterflies and Día de Muertos (Day of the Dead),
where one sees catrinas in paintings, paper maché, costumes, and, primarily, in the clay figurines of the Capula artists.

Miguel Ángel Torres stands out amongst them for the delicacy, detail, and creativity of his work. Many of his figures are tall and elegant, with flowing skirts, corsets, and wide-brimmed hats adorned with feathers, flowers, lace, butterflies, or tiny skulls. Some are playful, others proud or pensive and some, such as La Llorona, profound and tragic.

Every piece is painstakingly shaped by hand before firing, and then they’re painted in fine detail with richly layered colors. While Torres honors traditional forms, he is very much interested in innovation, at times dressing his catrinas in contemporary clothing depicting various professions, such as cowboys or chefs, or they’re adorned in traditional indigenous dress, relating cultural stories and myths through their accessories and poses.

Torres began his career working with his brother-in-law, son of the famous catrina artist Álvaro de la Cruz. After he won first prize in his premiere in 2011 at the Michoacán state contest held annually at Casa de las Artesanías in Morelia, Torres opened his own workshop, where his wife and daughter have also molded their careers.

Feria Maestros del Arte 2025

ARTIST INFORMATION

Isaac Arriaga #565,

Morelia Michoacan 58331

cel 44 3265 6266 <to check> torresmiguel1911@gmail.com

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