Ceramics

All of Oswaldo Vigas’ deeply American imagery is also expressed in his ceramics. His first experience in this medium was in 1981, when he made the mural Homage to the Tacarigua Culture for the 40th anniversary of the Ateneo de Valencia. It is a large-scale work (3 x 10 meters) made of refractory tiles. Subsequently, he found and repurposed pieces of industrial ceramic on which he drew and painted his imaginary characters, animals and vegetation, adapting them according to the different shapes and sizes of the tiles. The result was more than 200 works including plates, dishes, bowls, basins, etc. Each is unique, despite the uniformity of the molds, because Vigas individualized them through color, imagery, and, when he added figures in relief, even the particular “feel.”