M I G U E L B O R B O L L A
Artista de Repujado

This unique collection by Latin American Repujado artist Miguel Borbolla features a low-relief style sculpture that is rarely seen in the United States, and that many collectors consider a new form of art. In actuality, repujado is a distinct bas-relief sculpture that has been around for many centuries and may still be found in parts of Europe and Latin America.

“Repujado” means “to give depth to,” and as an artist, Miguel Borbolla brings the beauty of his art to life by crafting special figures out of various metals such as tin, copper and aluminum. Rather than carving external shapes from a desired medium and then creating castings from heavy molds, the repujado is individually crafted by hammering, pounding or pressing desired motifs through a process which pushes the work out from the reverse side of the metals used.

The technique of repujado is derived from the French-rooted word that describes “repousse” and dates back to pre-Christian times. For Miguel Borbolla, “The art of repujado is much more than just creating figures on a sheet of metal. With this art, you can express your feelings in the details of a landscape or in the features of a portrait, and bring them to life in each carving.”

Miguel Borbolla comes from Veracruz, Mexico where he learned the art of repujado as it has been passed down from family to family, and from generation to generation over many centuries. As a small child, Miguel’s earliest memories are of making figures such as animals, houses and village scenes from clay found mostly in the dirt streets of Paso del Macho, a Mexican village just thirty miles west of the port of Veracruz. He often looked forward to trips throughout the countryside with his father, where he was inspired by the different styles of local artisans. Later, he studied repujado from his sister while drawing from the work of other Latin American artists.

According to Miguel Borbolla, “Every single detail of raising or sinking in the sheet of metal bears an important personal message. When I do my art, I feel that those innermost feelings of mine come out and are expressed on the metal as a part of my life. Actually, I feel that the most unreachable challenges of my life can be accomplished through the world of my art.”

GALERIA BORBOLLA-VAUTRIN
1419 E. Sunview Drive ? Orange, CA 92865-1740 USA ? (714) 685-2150
E-mail: miguelborbolla@hotmail.com
www.miguelborbolla.com

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