The term “paper mâché” brings up fond memories of youthful summer camp projects — strips of newspaper dipped in paste, layered on top of a balloon, face, or cardboard model, then left to harden and be painted. Those resulting oblong balls, lumpy masks, and indeterminate piñatas should be familiar to us all.

The centuries-old medium isn’t well known for its finer art aspects, but there are some creators out there making pieces of respectable quality, often geared toward youngsters. And then there’s Jalisco, Mexico-based Fernando Pérez Carrizales, who uses paper mâché to create studio-quality renditions of fantasy and sci-fi creatures and elements.

His pieces range from small and detailed to immense and intimidating; a full-scale Pale Man from Guillermo Del Toro’s Pan’s Labyrinth and a wall-sized face of a Rancor jump out in particular. There are a lot of familiar images and mashups; his inspiration, however, comes from history and heritage. “We all grew up with monsters around us in cartoons, movies, books,” Carrizales says. “The stories our grandmothers told us always include fantastic beings. And in the case of Mexico’s pre-Hispanic culture, it’s full of monsters and warrior eagles and jaguars. If we add Día De Los Muertos, it’s hard not to incorporate fantasy into sculptures.”

Carrizales followed his brother in making art, but stepped away from it for a period until a tragedy brought him back. “My daughter died when I was 21, so I took up sculpture as a form of therapy,” he says. “It was my refuge!” He and his brother are now giving art classes and workshops to local kids and parents alike.

Photography by Mike Senese, Fernando Pérez Carrizales

“I have used materials like modeling clay, wax, epoxy, resins, foam rubber — and I always end up going back to paper,” Carrizales says. “It can be carved like wood, shaped like clay; it can be applied in casting molds, allowing you to combine many techniques. Furthermore you can find it anywhere, often discarded, making it an underestimated raw material.”

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This article is from Make: Vol. 73!

Péiter Onrou (Restless Peter in Luxembourgish) is the nickname of a sculpture of Christ in a recumbent position located north of the city of Luxembourg. Situated on a sandstone cliff overlooking the Côte d’Eich, it occupies the lower part of a crucifixion scene. It is accessible via a high staircase, starting at the crossroads of the rue des Glacis and the Côte d’Eich.

A complete mystery surrounds the origin of this sculpture and its nickname, but the crucifixion and the tomb may be the last station of a lost Way of the Cross. The origin of the nickname “Péiter” has given rise to numerous theories (the name of a former owner, a link with Saint Crispin, etc.), none of which have been able to reach a consensus. The date of the monument’s creation is unknown. However, it is known that the statue of the reclining Christ was stolen in the 17th century, replaced in the 19th century, and restored during the Second World War.

What is much more certain is that in 1907, the Luxembourgish writer and playwright Nikolaus Welter used the statue as a setting in a story. Just before dawn, a betrayed wife comes to Péiter Onrou to ask for help in getting her husband back. She sticks seven needles into a candle and swears that if the flame touches them, they will cause her husband to feel intense pain in his heart, forcing him to return home.

The story is a work of fiction, not based on any previous tradition. But a century later, from time to time, candles with pins stuck to them appear around the reclining figure. It has therefore become a reality!