Isaac Díaz Pardo

ISAAC DÍAZ PARDO (Santiago de Compostela, 1920–A Coruña, 2012).
“Man’s Head.”
Ink on ceramic plate.
Signed on the back.
Diameter: 16.5 cm; 35 × 35 cm (frame).

The work brings together two fundamental aspects of Isaac Díaz Pardo’s career: drawing and his close connection to ceramics. The face is constructed using rapid, energetic black brushstrokes, reducing the anatomy to a few lines of great expressive intensity. The ink contrasts with the white background of the plate and preserves the immediate trace of the artist’s gesture. The circular format acts as a natural frame and focuses the image, giving it the presence of a contemporary medallion. The piece reflects Díaz Pardo’s interest in integrating art, design, and ceramic production—essential principles in the cultural and industrial projects he spearheaded during the second half of the 20th century.

Isaac Díaz Pardo was a painter, ceramicist, designer, publisher, and one of the leading promoters of contemporary Galician culture. Together with Luis Seoane, he founded the Laboratorio de Formas, through which he spearheaded the restoration of Sargadelos, the Carlos Maside Museum, and Ediciós do Castro.