PEDRO MERCEDES, AS A STURDY ARTISAN, WAS AWAY FROM COMPETITIONS AND EXHIBITIONS, WHICH HAS NOT AVOIDED THE INTERNATIONAL RECOGNITION OF HIS WORK.

1957

A picture of his workshop was the cover of the magazine ‘Selecciones del Reader’s Digest’.

1961

Galeries Jaimes of Barcelona hosted the first and also the only exhibition by own initiative, being invited by the Cultural Association “El Trascacho”.

1966

He got the National Handicraft Award (Perdíz-porrón-pájaro).

1975

Distinguished Artisan Medal. XV Exhibition of Crafts of Cuenca.

1975

Exhibition entitled ‘Pedro Mercedes, Poeta del barro-Historia del Toro’. House of Culture-Ronda (Málaga).

1980

Protagonist of the TVE program De Cerca’, presented by Jesús Hermida, under the title: ‘El alfarero de Cuenca, que hace del barro arte’.

1980

Exhibition in ‘Farcama’. Palacio Tavera. Toledo.

1982

He received the title of ‘Manchego del Año’ by the Casa de La Mancha in Madrid.

1985

Diario de Cuenca names him ‘Popular of the Year’.

1986

Exhibition at Sala Municipal de Exposiciones in Cieza.

1988

He is awarded the Gold Medal of Castilla-La Mancha:

“…The craftsmanship of clay has one of the most genuine figures in Pedro Mercedes. Perpetuator of traditional and autochthonous forms, has been able to create new ones. In addition to his merits as an artisan, Pedro Mercedes stands out for his fidelity to the trade (since 1931 that of clay), to a landscape (that of Cuenca) and to some roots (those of the Cuenca neighborhood of “Las Ollerías”). His artistic contribution deserves the highest institutional and popular recognition…”.

1988

Participation in the collective exhibition ’30 ceramistas, 40 alfareros’ in Alba de Tormes, Salamanca, where an act-tribute was dedicated, among all the participants.

1989

He is awarded the Medal of Gold of the City of Cuenca, granted by the Hon. City Council of that capital:

“…For having created an interesting school and forms identified with the spirit of Cuenca, for his incomparable humanity and immense art… In recognition of his work as an artisan, as a citizen of Cuenca and as a thank you to all the people of Cuenca…”

1991-92

The Junta de Castilla-La Mancha exhibits his work in Toledo (Mezquita de las Turnerías) entitled ‘Gracias Maestro’.

1991

Exhibition in Caja de Ahorros de Cuenca. Title: ‘El arte del alfarero’.

1992

One of his drawings is chosen as a poster of the ‘Corrida de Beneficencia’, Plaza de Toros de Las Ventas, Madrid.

1992

The “Barquillo” exhibition hall of Caja-Madrid is re-inaugurated with 61 of his pieces.

1992

Award for the ‘Best Ceramist’, Magazine ‘Correos del Arte’, Madrid.

1992

The City of Albacete exhibits some of his pieces on the occasion of its annual Festival.

1993

The Instituto Politécnico of Cuenca receives the name of ‘Pedro Mercedes’.

1994

He is named ‘Conquense of the year’ by the House of Cuenca in Barcelona.

1997

In Talavera de la Reina he receives the title of ‘Master Craftsman of Castilla-La Mancha’.

1998

The Provincial Council honors him with a great anthological exhibition in the incomparable setting of Convento de las Carmelitas:

“…Pedro is a preclear mind, he is a “genius of the clay”, who, day by day, fascinates us by leading us to that space reserved for the privileged, without ceasing to be a simple man, “a humble potter”, as he says.

2002

In the ‘Plenary Hall’ of the Hon. City of Cuenca, “…ceded as a tribute…”, part of the work already owned by the Junta-Comunidades-Castilla-La Mancha is shown.

2003

Entitled ‘Pedro Mercedes, El Alfarero de Cuenca’, Caja Castilla-La Mancha inaugurates its social headquarters in Cuenca

2004-05

Exhibition organized by the JCCM, which consists of more than 100 pieces of his property and others ceded by the artist, was inaugurated in Cuenca (former convent of Religiosas Angélicas), later traveling through the cities of Toledo (Santa Cruz Museum), Ciudad Real (Provincial Museum), Albacete (Provincial Museum) and Talavera de la Reina (Ruiz de Luna Museum).

2005

A street in Cuenca, near the ‘Pedro Mercedes’ high school, receives the same name.

2006

The University of Castilla-La Mancha performs in Almonacid del Marquesado (Cuenca) an act of homage, exhibiting some pieces in the cultural hall of the City Hall.

2007

He is invested “Academician of Honor” of the Royal Academy of Arts and Letters of Cuenca:

“The Royal Academy may have up to three Academician of Honor chosen from national or foreign personalities who, due to their exceptional services to culture or the Academy itself, have earned such distinction”.

2008

One of his drawings is presented as a poster for ‘Semana Santa 2008-Cuenca’.

2008

The Hon. Mayor of Cuenca, Mr. Pulido, inaugurated a bronze sculpture with the legend “A Pedro Mercedes, a potter, who has raised the ceramics of crafts to the category of art.”

2008-09

With the title ‘Pedro Mercedes-Navidad Íntima’ was exhibited in the Museum ‘Semana-Santa of Cuenca’ about 30 pieces, some of them unpublished, related to the theme of Christmas.

2012

In the Convent of San Gil, headquarters of the Courts of the Castilla-La Mancha Communities, entitled ‘Ceramics, Figures and Prints’, 24 works are exhibited: “… Mercedes is an example of pure vocation and creative genius”. These works were from 2009 located in the headquarters of the Ombudsman of Castilla-La Mancha, ‘Casa Perona’ Albacete, entitled ‘Pedro Mercedes, de la tierra… La vida’.

2015

The exhibition halls of the National Museum of Ceramics Ruiz de Luna have shown under the title ‘The ceramist Pedro Mercedes’ a selection of the works of this “…outstanding figure at international level for the union of traditional pottery and art…”. These pieces made in the traditional pottery, whose origins date back to the sixteenth century, have joined some of the findings in the archaeological excavations carried out in this place the year before, as a bowl of that century, in addition to works engraved in burin in copper once Mercedes left the wheel in 1989.

COMING SOON

Junta Comunidades Castilla-LaMancha: In the Provincial Museum of Cuenca, when the extension is made, a room dedicated exclusively to Pedro Mercedes will be set up, where part of about 250 pieces, property of the Junta, will be exhibited.

The City Council of Cuenca: The aim is to rehabilitate the old Pedro Mercedes workshoop (officially dated from the end of the 15th century), property of this City Council since 2010, with the purpose of allocating it to the ‘Pedro Mercedes Museum’, School of Ceramics and source of artisans.

A PART OF HIS WORK IS LOCATED IN SEVERAL PLACES:

  • Excmo. Ayuntamiento de Cuenca.
  • Antigua Caja Castilla la Mancha (hoy Liberbank).
  • Casa de Cuenca en Barcelona.
  • Unesco ParÍs.
  • Casa Real Española
  • Colegio Salesianos de Ronda (Málaga).
  • Junta Comunidades Castilla-La Mancha.
  • Varias colecciones particulares.
  • Convento de San Gil – Toledo.

All in all, Pedro Mercedes has always been the same …

“…I GIVE THANKS TO GOD, TO THE DIVINE POTTER, I GIVE THANKS TO HIM FOR EVERYTHING, FOR WANTING ME TO BE A POTTERY AND TO BE BORN IN CUENCA…”