Exhibition of Mexican folk art at The Adult Education Centre of the Tampere Region

The joint exhibition by the Embassy of Mexico and The Adult Education Centre of the Tampere Region examines Mexican folk art as a living cultural expression. Art is part of local identity, communities, and history.

The exhibition features a diverse collection of Mexican folk art and handicrafts from various parts of the country.

The goal is to increase understanding of Mexican culture beyond well-known landmarks. Artisan crafts are on display in the main lobby exhibition showcase at Sampola until May 30, 2025.

– The pieces include hand-painted ceramics, intricate beadwork, woodcarvings, woven textiles, amate paper art, leather garments, silver and pewter ornaments and traditional basketry, among a wide variety of materials. Each item was selected to represent a specific place and cultural tradition, offering a glimpse into the techniques and materials passed down through generations, says the Embassy of Mexico.

The exhibition is part of the Year of Indigenous Women of Mexico 2025, which aims to amplify the voices of indigenous women and highlight their importance to cultural heritage.

– This exhibition is giving a special recognition to the invaluable contributions of indigenous women artisans from Mexico, all of whom play a central role in the preservation and renewal of these traditions. It is also a gesture of cultural dialogue, sharing the voices and hands behind the objects with an international audience, the embassy states.

Each piece in the exhibition represents a specific place and culture, as well as techniques and materials passed down from generation to generation.

– Special attention was given to including works from various indigenous communities, such as the Rarámuri, the Wixárika, the Otomí and the Nahua, among others, to highlight the wide range of ancestral artistic expressions from Mexico, the embassy explains.

The embassy invites visitors to explore how the country's diversity is reflected in folk art.

– Mexico is a country of great geographic and cultural diversity – from the mountains of Oaxaca and the rainforests of Chiapas to the deserts of Chihuahua and the lakes of Michoacán. Each region carries its own languages, myths, festivals, and artisan techniques. We hope this exhibition inspires people to travel to Mexico and visit all these beautiful sites, the embassy says.

The collaboration between The Adult Education Centre of the Tampere Region and the Embassy of Mexico began in the fall of 2024 at Iberofest, which annually celebrates Ibero-American culture and life in Tampere. At that time, the Embassy of Mexico organized an event at the main library Metso.

– We were gladly surprised to see that many of the participants were teachers and students who had taken courses to learn about Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera, the Day of the Death celebration, Mexican gastronomy and even nahuatl, the language of the Mexicas or Aztecs, that is still widely spoken in Mexico by more than 1,5 million people, the embassy explains.

The exhibition by the Embassy of Mexico can be visited according to Sampola's opening hours. Sampola is open on weekdays until 8 PM until May 29, 2025. On the last day of the exhibition, May 30, 2025, Sampola is open until 4 PM.