Gustavo Pérez

In the early 1970s, he studied his art at the Escuela de Diseño y Artesanías de Mexico (School of Design and Crafts in Mexico City). His media of choice is clay, and he explores its infinite possibilities to create vases that truly transcend their utilitarian function. Each piece, fashioned by hand, is decorated with motifs that are engraved or sculpted with metal blades and other tools he has designed himself, and evokes organic themes and rhythms and architectural forms. Perez's style oscillates between simplicity and complexity. His works are done in sober tones, often simply white, black or greys, emphasising texture and reliefs and the essential materiality of the medium. He conveys his respect for artisanal traditions even as he challenges the boundaries of contemporary ceramics. Each vase is a timeless work of art that melds technical expertise with aesthetic exploration.

In 2018, the Fondation Cartier presented Perez's oeuvre in Southern Geometries, from Mexico to Patagonia, an exhibition that explored the varied forms of geometric abstraction in Latin America. The exhibition brought together almost 250 works from over seventy artists, ranging from Pop to Abstract art, ceramics to body painting by way of sculpture, architecture and basket weaving.