Cristina Merchán

CRISTINA MERCHÁN (Caracas, Venezuela, 1927 – Paris, France, 1987)
Set of six ceramic pieces, 1960s–1980s.
Glazed ceramic.
Signed and dated.
Measurements: 11 x 30 cm (largest); 7 x 6 x 6 cm (smallest).
This set of six pieces, created between the 1960s and 1980s, reflects the formal diversity and evolution of Cristina Merchán’s artistic language, bringing together different types and finishes representative of her body of work.
Cristina Merchán was a Venezuelan painter and ceramicist who developed a body of work with a distinct sculptural dimension, making ceramics the central focus of her artistic language.She studied Visual Education at the University of Guadalajara and later at the School of Plastic and Applied Arts in Caracas, where she studied under Miguel Arroyo. In 1957, she won the National Prize for Applied Arts. Thanks to a scholarship from the Mendoza Foundation, she moved to Barcelona between 1958 and 1961, where she furthered her work with stoneware under the guidance of Francesc Albors and Josep Llorens Artigas.
From the late 1950s onward, he pursued an active international career between Caracas, Barcelona, and Paris, participating in exhibitions in Europe and the Americas, including *Venezuelan Pottery* in New York. Her series *Los bichos* marked a turning point in her work, moving ceramics toward a sculptural expression based on volume, texture, incisions, and color. Her participation in the Vallauris Biennials earned her several awards, including the Suzanne and Georges Ramie Prize.
Based in Paris, she continued to explore the formal and material possibilities of ceramics, creating works characterized by essential forms, textured surfaces, and a distinctive exploration of glazes. Her work is included in collections such as the National Art Gallery of Venezuela, the Banco Mercantil in Caracas, and the Musée des Arts Décoratifs at the Louvre, cementing her place as a leading figure in the renewal of 20th-century Venezuelan ceramics.