Arcadi Blasco (1928-2013) began exploring the world of ceramics just before turning thirty, returning from a Rome scholarship with a mindset sharpened by study and travel. Under the influence of Nino Caruso, his creative direction gained a clear aim: handmade pieces that carried a modern spirit. He did not work alone. He moved forward with sculptor and later partner Carmen Perujo, along with a circle of artists that included José Luis Sánchez, Amadeo Gabino, and Jacqueline Canivet, with architects Carlos de Miguel and Javier Carvajal and designer Paco Muñoz contributing to the collaborative energy that defined their practice.
In 1955 this group gathered to shape a new art of ceramics, one that would be recognized in the basement spaces of the American Museum in Madrid, which was still under construction at the time. The project benefited from the vision of Luis M. Feduchi, who supported a program that positioned artistic ceramics beyond traditional disciplines, embracing a broader, more interdisciplinary approach.
Ceramic mural by Arcadi Blasco.
Now, the next generation carries the memory forward. Grandson Pedro Feduchi, alongside Pedro Reula, curates an exhibition that preserves the work of several of these young artists from the mid-twentieth century. The movement began with a willingness to experiment, dissolving strict boundaries between ceramics and design and breaking with centuries of academic formalism. The result was a Madrid pottery scene that spoke to modernity in a clear, resolute voice.
Some of Arcadi Blasco’s pieces in this Madrid exhibition.
Isidro Blasco, a son who grew up amid a family of ceramists and sculptors, recalls a vibrant era in which artists and architects collaborated with ease. Carmen Perujo remembers a studio atmosphere where custom pieces carried personal signatures. Their works often combined leather details on the lower portions with carefully lined surfaces, giving each artifact a distinctive, tactile presence. The conversation around these works emphasized a shared language that fused decorative elements with practical forms.
Blasco and Perujo’s collaborative pieces reveal a blend of Andalusian craft and Valencian decorative vocabularies, influenced by Murcia’s regional traditions and Seville’s popular forms. This synthesis produced works where common motifs could be found across pieces, yet each item retained its own character and function. The result stood as a testament to a cross-disciplinary culture that linked architecture, design, and craft in a way that resonated with contemporary art audiences.
commitment to contemporary art
The inception of SEDI, the Industrial Design Research Society, in 1958 and the Spanish Pavilion at the New York World’s Fair in 1964 marked a formalization of a design ethos that extended beyond pots and vases. The exhibition became a corridor through which pottery could meet architectural murals and other disciplines, a path that Arcadi Blasco often helped pave. Pedro Reula describes Blasco as a central figure among those who pushed these boundaries, calling him a key protagonist in this cross-disciplinary movement.
Photographs and archived ceramics reveal projects where Blasco and Perujo collaborated, producing works that married technical skill with expressive forms. The partners kept a close, generational dialogue: Pedro Feduchi notes that Blasco maintained strong bonds with his grandfather and father, forming a tightly knit network of creators who converged in Madrid to share ideas, experiments, and materials. The group’s dynamic showcased a culture of exchange where architects, potters, and artists contributed to a shared vocabulary of decorative and functional art.
As Reula observes, the evolution of Blasco’s work traces a consistent line from the 1950s through the 1980s, a period when designers expanded their repertoire beyond conventional pottery. The works from this era reveal a stylistic arc—from simple jugs and vases to more complex forms—yet always anchored by Blasco’s enduring devotion to contemporary art. The pieces reflect a personal, ongoing exploration rather than a fixed, commercial export, signaling a commitment to creative experimentation that continues to inspire today.