María Guadalupe Vargas García

Mexico | Fiber Baskets and Handmade Paper

María Guadalupe Vargas García is a Purépecha artisan from the Lake Pátzcuaro region of Michoacán, where she works with chuspata, a native aquatic fiber that grows naturally along the lake’s edge. She is a third generation artisan, having learned the techniques of harvesting and weaving chuspata from her parents, and her work remains closely tied to the landscape and daily life of her community.

She gathers and prepares all of her material herself, collecting chuspata responsibly and drying it in the sun before weaving it by hand using traditional techniques passed down since pre-Hispanic times. From this fiber, she creates sculptural and utilitarian forms, including baskets and animal figures inspired by the lake, local wildlife, and Purépecha customs. Each piece reflects both careful craftsmanship and a sense of play that has made her work especially appealing to the selection committee.

This work is her family’s primary source of income and is produced entirely at home. María Guadalupe works independently rather than through a workshop or cooperative, maintaining full control of the process from raw material to finished piece. She is also motivated to pass this knowledge on, particularly to younger people in her community, so the tradition of chuspata weaving does not disappear.

In addition to her fiber work, she creates handmade paper pieces using plant-based materials, including corn fiber, expanding her practice while remaining rooted in natural materials and local knowledge.