Philadelphia artist Mauricio Pérez is known for creating fantastical paper maché sculptures. Born in Sogamoso, a rural area of Colombia, Mauricio has harbored a deep fascination with craftsmanship since childhood. Inspired by magical realism and traditional Latin American aesthetics, he has exhibited his work locally and internationally, and collaborated with several community-based organizations, including La Puerta Abierta, Semilla Arts, and Fleisher Art Memorial. His commitment to community engagement also led to a decade-long project with Artesanías de Colombia to conduct art therapy workshops with youth and families displaced by armed conflict.

Mauricio is heavily inspired by the Mexican Surrealism movement and traditional Latin American aesthetics. Paper maché, also known as cartonería (Spanish for cardboard), is an ancient craft with the earliest recorded pieces dating back to the year 202 B.C. Like many Latin American customs, cartonería has roots in European colonialism and Catholicism. Those influences are readily seen throughout Mauricio’s work, including a puppet show inspired by the psychomagic work of Chilean filmmaker Alejandro Jodorowsky and performed at the Cali International Performance Festival. For his exhibition at Philadelphia international Airport, Mauricio created his signature paper maché figures, some at rest, some in motion, to reflect on ideas about travel and migration.

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