Enric Mestre (b. 1936), an artist from Alboraia/Valencia, Spain, has dedicated and committed himself to push the boundaries of his craft and elevating ceramic sculpture to an art form in its own right.
Mestre’s journey in the world of art began with painting and studies at San Carlos Fine Arts School in Valencia. At the suggestion of a family friend, he further explored his passion for ceramics at the Manises school and it was here that he encountered the renowned ceramist Alfonso Blat, whose work had a great influence on him.1
Since then, Enric Mestre holds true to the material’s humble beginnings and incorporates its unique qualities into his works. His artworks are highly sought after and often compared to other famous figures of the Spanish School, such as Jorge Oteiza and Eduardo Chillida. His sculptural oeuvre is composed of minimalist spatial constructions and architectural structures, predominantly consisting of box-like shapes and slabs in muted colors.
They are influenced by architectural ideas of space and the details in each piece come from both real situations and illusionary painterly means. He strives to create a unique order, balance, and composition between the different surfaces, colors, and textures that come together in each piece.
Despite the carefully planned and developed sculptural objects, Mestre still insists on the use of intuition to craft his works, hinting at constructive poetics that allow for personal expression while also restraining and controlling it at the same time.2
In a chaotic and unhinged world, Mestre seeks to respond with his “silent geometry” as his artistic offering. Through his work, he hopes to create an oasis of calm and understanding. In my humble opinion, he succeeds in a very authentic and aesthetic way. The small selection of works shown here represent only a fraction of Enric Mestre’s creative output. If you want to see more of his work, I recommend a visit to his website. If you want to read a lovely story about a visit to his studio, I can recommend the article in Openhouse Magazine.
All the graphic and plastic roads I have travelled so far have always had the natural as a starting point, … This can lead me to the purest forms, which for me expresses with more clarity a personal vision of the world around us.
Enric Mestre
