Papel Memoria

Papel Memoria is a memorial archive by Alessandra Gutierrez honoring individuals affected by immigration enforcement, detention, and systemic violence through papel picado portraits that preserve their stories and are free to download for vigils and community gatherings.

I translate real photographs of immigration enforcement and loss into papel picado designs that anyone can download.

A black paper cutout featuring religious imagery of Jesus Christ and children, decorated with flowers and hearts.

Red papel picado artwork of Christopher Rodriguez at a South Bronx immigration protest, from Papel Memoria by Alessandra Gutierrez.

Source photograph of Christopher Rodriguez with adults and children at a South Bronx immigration protest, used as the reference for his Papel Memoria artwork.

Use them to make something of your own. Hang them in your home, wear them on a t-shirt, or share them with others.

A woman sitting on the floor appears distressed and upset, surrounded by a group of ice officers who are kneeling or bending over her, trying to detain her. The scene takes place in an indoor hallway with tiled walls and floor.

Black papel picado artwork depicting immigration officers restraining a woman in a hallway, from Papel Memoria by Alessandra Gutierrez.

Unfortunately, this project will continue to grow as ICE, police, and detention centers continue to kill, torture, and dehumanize people in this country.

Red papel picado portrait of Renée Good from Papel Memoria by Alessandra Gutierrez, surrounded by floral and geometric cut paper details.

Portrait of a Renee Good with curly red hair smiling at the camera near the ocean at the water's edge.

This project grew from a personal response to the horrors seen across the country.

I turned to art as a way to respond, to connect, and to support others in making something beautiful together.

A young boy in a plaid jacket, named Liam Conejo Ramos, wearing a blue snow hat with a cute face and floppy ears, and backpack, stands next to a vehicle in a snowy outdoor area, with snow on the ground and other police cars nearby.

Papel picado portrait of Liam “Conejo” Ramos from Papel Memoria by Alessandra Gutierrez, showing the young boy in his winter hat and coat.

I grew up watching my grandmother and her friends make things together; crocheting, sewing, figuring out how to mend the world around them.

Making was how they supported each other and made sense of the world. This project comes from that same place.

Green papel picado portrait of Mohommad Nazeer Paktyawal from Papel Memoria by Alessandra Gutierrez, showing him in a T-shirt reading “FREEDOM.”

Papel picado is fragile by nature, it is also communal. It is meant to be hung, to move with air, to be seen strung together.

In this form, these images shift from something consumed in passing into something to pause and hold.

A photograph depicting Mohommad Nazeer Paktyawal, A man with dark hair and a beard wearing a gray t-shirt with 'FREEDOM' written on it, standing outdoors by a body of water with trees in the background.

Senator Andy Kim speaking near the Delaney Hall detention center in Newark during a protest against immigration detention.

Blue papel picado portrait of Senator Andy Kim speaking at the Delaney Hall detention center protest, from Papel Memoria by Alessandra Gutierrez.

The medium has long marked celebration and grief, hanging overhead to unite people during gatherings.

By placing contemporary immigration imagery within this visual language, I connect present day realities to a form historically used to mark a shared experience.

Its fragility and repetition reflect the vulnerability and persistence present in migrant lives.

Papel picado is a living Mexican folk tradition rooted in ceremony, memory, and collective expression. I approach it as cultural dialogue, honoring its use of symmetry, repetition, and negative space.

Colorful papel picado portraits from Papel Memoria by Alessandra Gutierrez, displayed together as a memorial installation.

If there is someone who should be remembered, or if you know the family of someone represented here, please send a message using the “Get in touch” form on the homepage with the subject “Papel memoria- Contribution”.

When you create something, share it using #PapelMemoria so it can become part of this growing collective memorial.

This is a project about making, remembering, and holding space for what remains.

— Alessandra

The Papel Memoria templates are FREE to download and use for personal and community projects, including classrooms, religious groups, and shared spaces.

Be part of Papel Memoria. Your donation makes it possible for me to continue creating and sustaining these memorials.

Support the Work

The Memorial Archive

Each Papel Memoria portrait honors an individual life through a hand created papel picado design. Select a portrait to read their story, learn about the imagery, and access the free community use templates.

Interested in exhibiting Papel Memoria?

I am currently seeking museums, galleries, cultural institutions, and community spaces interested in exhibiting the Papel Memoria memorial archive. The portraits can be installed individually or as a larger collective memorial, bringing these lives and stories into public view.

If you are interested in hosting the work, please reach out.