It was in Mexico City, Mexico, Tenochtitlán in October 1993, when Lourdes Guerra Serrano – known
as Lula – first had contact with the art of “alambrear” (wire molding). There she met on the”Plaza de
Coyotes” in the District of Coyoacán with artists of different areas of”street art”. With enthusiasm and talent, she learned the techniques of Rafael “Snoopy” Meza, a graduate of the INBA and master of the “urban art”; like the processing of filigree silver and alpaca, glazing, the interweaving of silver wire and feathers, as well as the processing of quartz, jade, bamboo and plant seeds.
At that time, this artist then taught”Lula”, who came from a bourgeois family in the municipality of Tlalnepantla in Mexico City and was an art student at the CEDART, his magical techniques for processing of silver wire with fine forceps and tweezers in exchange for taking care of his sales stall
on the Plaza de Coyotes. Like many parts of Mexico City also Coyoacán had been an independent
village originally, the name means “Place of the coyotes” in Nahuatl. There the visitor still finds
himself in a picturesque place with a romantic main square and quiet streets, although in the middle
of Mexico City. On weekends however, Coyoacán is a very busy place and a popular destination for
strolling. At the main square painters, artisans of various art forms display their work live and street
artists offer their work for sale.
While sitting on stone benches or on the floor of the stone paths Lula spoke with artists from various
parts of Latin America and worked with them, she learned from them and their techniques. The stalls
on the ground were often laid out colorful fabrics or cloths, only a few were lucky enough to be able
to work on folding tables and stools.
The evenings and nights filled and lit up with bars and clubs, where young people met in search for
creative entertainment, listening to rock bands and almost every day there were artistic exchanges,
new ideas and experimental projects.
In addition, Coyoacán was a very exclusive residential area, which had never lost its original
bohemian character. Many known representatives of fine arts chose to select one of the great
colonial houses of Coyoacán as a place of residence.
So Coyoacán became the inspiration for the project “Lularte”. For many years, there has also been an art fair, where a section has been provided in recent years for street artists, a large arts and crafts
market on the floor of the plaza, the “Bazar Artesanal Mexicano”. There you will find traditional and typical clothes from all parts of the country, wooden toys, traditional sweets and great gifts of all kids. This exhibition connects tourists from all over the world and locals and is held every Saturday,
Sunday and holidays.
“Lula” moved there through Coyoacán on different paths towards the market, where except for fruits, vegetables, salads, condiments and food also “copal” (Copal resin) is offered, a mystical fragrance from the resin of the Copal tree, used since pre-Hispanic times for ceremonies. If you go a few blocks further from there, you arrive at the magnificent Frida Kahlo Museum.
This “Blue House”, where the painters Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera once lived, shows works of these
two famous artists, telling their powerful stories in the silence of this picturesque surrounding. The
images of Frida Kahlos cannot be analyzed without knowing her life history. Due to an accident the
artist was tied up in her bed, where she developed her creativity and chose her art as a means of
expression and communication. Although”Lula” was no big supporter of Frida Kahlo and her works,
the visits to the museum were interesting, inspiring and instructive.
One day, in one of the courtyards of the "Blue House”, in the shadow of plants and sculptures,
“Lula” sat down to study the photos of her favorite sculptor Remedios Varo, an icon of surrealism.
Later, with 2 friends from university, they began for the first time the mesmerizing work with the fine
forceps and tweezers, the technique with filigree silver and alpaca wire. After some hours of work
their first necklaces emerged – silver wire and Baina seeds of the rosewood tree, painted with fine
brushes in surreal designs and patterns.
Since those days, “Lula”and her creative pieces of jewelry have visited many places in Latin America and around the world, always with her mobile “sales stall”, a large colorful cloth on the ground,
always with her backpack and the work of her hands. The project “Lularte” itself and to present it in various places worldwide, and is an expression of a lifestyle, not just of a particular generation or urban style. Travelling craftsmen and artists from all over the world continue this tradition and will
always share their knowledge: “handmade art pieces, produced by creative hands with natural
materials”.