Pátzcuaro, Michoacán

Assistant name: Dulce María Silva Galván

Based in Pátzcuaro, Michoacán, Esteban Silva Galván has spent over 44 years cultivating a deeply expressive artistic career rooted in experimentation and symbolism. He is renowned for his handcrafted paper made from natural fibers such as water hyacinth, corn husk, banana stem, wasp nest, and recycled materials. In his workshop, these raw elements are transformed into artistic and functional objects including notebooks, codices, wallets, postcards, envelopes, boxes, table mats, prints, and table lamps.

Beyond papermaking, Esteban is also a gifted painter whose work ventures into the realms of dream, myth, and surrealism. His evocative paintings explore hybrid creatures, mystical landscapes, and fantastical narratives that blur the line between the real and the imaginary. Figures emerge from shadowy forests, surreal beings interact under cosmic skies, and every scene feels like a journey into a subconscious world.

Whether through fiber or brushstroke, Esteban’s art is a portal into a richly symbolic universe—one that speaks of ancestral knowledge, inner transformation, and the powerful link between nature and the human psyche.