On an unassuming street on a hillside in Morelia, Mexico, there is a small house almost hidden from view. Living and working here is Bulmaro Pina Pina, a man influenced by the surrounding cultural history of the region. Mr Pina carves and creates the "guiders of souls" fishermen guiding the souls of the dead across Lake Patzcuaro to the cemetery on on Janitzio Island. Every year families of those dead make the trip to this cemetery, decorate their graves and spend the night of November 1st sharing food, drink and community with their loved ones who have passed on.
Mr Pina uses wood from the Copal tree, dried, then using saw & chisel carves, canoes and peoples them with figures of wire, paper mache and clay. These figures are deeply evocative of the souls journey from life to afterlife.
Self taught, through trial, error and years of practice, Mr Pina has developed his own unique style making his one-of-a-kind pieces very special.
