Call them ethereal, call them joyful, call them creepy, call them “Pikachu” — but don’t call them anything other than piñatas. South Pasadena-based artist Roberto Benavidez has established himself as a re-imaginer of the traditional Mexican craft, morphing paper into objects instilled with meaning, impermanence, beauty, humor and subversive undertones.

In his first solo gallery show in Los Angeles (at Perrotin through Oct. 18), Benavidez creates piñatas that explore his fascination with medieval Dutch painter Hieronymus Bosch and evoke the “ Garden of Earthly Delights ” artist’s imaginary world. At the Mid-City space, Benavidez’s works are suspended in mid-air, bringing piñatas of birds, mythical creatures and human-like forms to the skylit gallery.

“There was this feeling of disresp

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