Interview: Artist Roberto Benavidez Shares His Fascination with Paper Sculpture and the Stories Behind His Fantastical Piñatas

From the Hieronymus Bosch Piñatas series. All images © Roberto Benavidez, shared with permission

Harboring an ongoing fascination with the piñata, artist Roberto Benavidez (previously) centers his practice on translation as he crafts fantastical creatures and scenes from Hieronymus Bosch’s paintings, medieval manuscripts, and landscape photographs.

When it comes to the form, that’s the challenge for me. The sculptor in me wants to not necessarily replicate the reference material but to capture the spirit of it. At times making adjustments that are either self-referential or just a play on the history of the piñata.

In the most recent interview available to Colossal Members, Benavidez dives into religion, sin, and how conceptions of his own identity impact his sculptures, no matter their original sources. He speaks with managing editor Grace Ebert about the joys of working within the constraints of paper and limiting himself to traditional aspects of piñata making.