Saülo Mercader facts for kids

Saülo Mercader is a Spanish artist who creates paintings, sculptures, and essays. He was born on September 13, 1944, in San Vicente del Raspeig, a town in Alicante, Spain. Since 1975, he has lived in Paris, France.

Besides his paintings and sculptures, Saülo Mercader also works with different art forms. These include ceramics, high-warp tapestries, engravings, drawings, terracotta, and lithographies. His art is not tied to one specific style. Instead, his creations are inspired by events happening in the world and in his own life. He sees himself as a witness to his time. He also feels like a guide who connects people with the universe, where all life comes from. He uses his art to bridge these connections.

Saülo Mercader's Early Life and Art Journey

Saülo Mercader started sculpting and drawing when he was just six years old. He learned different modeling techniques in the "Fallas" workshops in Alicante. He worked as an apprentice in sculptor Serrano's workshops. This experience helped him master all the steps needed to create bronze sculptures. He learned everything from making moulds to various ways of casting metal.

In 1964, he moved to Bilbao in the Basque Country, northern Spain. This is where his artistic career truly began. He became well-known through many group and solo art shows. For twenty years, his connection with the people of Bilbao was special. The media, including newspapers, radio, and TV, widely reported on his work. As a student of sculptor Lucarini, he carved stone and worked with bronze. He created many impressive busts and painted portraits, like one of the Marquis de Lozoya in Segovia.

One of his paintings, Peras en Primavera (Pears in Spring), was bought by the Fine Arts Museum in Madrid. In 1972, he won the Spanish Vocation Fund Prize. This award recognized his talent, strength, and true passion for art. Saülo Mercader's popularity grew even more. He received a scholarship from the Castellblanch Catalan company, which allowed him to travel to Rome. In Italy, he studied the works of great masters. These masters, especially Raphaël and Leonardo da Vinci, had inspired him since he was young. He felt a strong artistic connection to them.

After his time in Italy, he traveled to Scandinavia. Later, he spent several months in the Netherlands. Sadly, his studio in Bilbao was destroyed by severe floods. He lost many of his artworks, books, letters, and photos.

Developing His Art in Paris and Beyond

In 1974, Saülo Mercader received a grant from the French government. This allowed him to live in Paris and continue developing his art. This was a very important turning point in his life. For five years, he lived at the Cité internationale des arts. There, he met many artists from all over the world. These included painters, sculptors, actors, musicians, ballet dancers, and writers. These meetings broadened his understanding of art. He took part in major art shows in Paris. Some of these were the Salon de Mai, Salon d’Automne, and Salon des Artistes Français.

At the Cité Internationale des Arts, he also began weaving high-warp tapestries. He learned from artists like Jagoda Buic and Nora Music. He also met the weaver Marin Varbanov there. He took carving classes with S. W Hayter and painting classes with Matthey. These were at the Superior National School of Fine arts in Paris.

His exhibition at the International Contemporary Art Fair (FIAC) in Paris in 1978 made him well-known to people across Europe. These years were a time of great creativity and extensive travel for him.

American Experiences and Further Studies

In 1981, Saülo Mercader received an American Fulbright grant. He moved to New York City, where he worked for a few years. He lived on the campus of Columbia University. He took lithography classes with Professors Mahoney and Maxwell. He also studied painting with Professor Schorr at Teachers' College. There, he created a series of ceramics with Panay Reyes.

For a while, he focused on painting large artworks about American football. His exhibitions of these paintings were very striking. They caught the attention of the press and media, making him known to the New York public. At the same time, he painted five very large artworks about the theme of the Tree. These were later shown at the Biennial of Alexandria.

He earned a Master of Arts and Education degree from Teachers' College, Columbia University. Later, he met famous artists like Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, and Niki de Saint Phalle. These were very productive years. Saülo Mercader recorded his experiences in many illustrated notebooks and graphic works.

Back in Paris, he earned a doctoral degree in visual arts in 1986. He received this degree with high honors from Paris VIII University. He met other notable figures like Tapies, Semprun, and Camilo José Cela. He regularly exhibited his work in Paris. He also traveled often to Spain, where he met Francis Bacon in Madrid.

Global Inspirations and Exhibitions

His travels to Greece, especially Crete and its mythology, inspired a huge painting. This fresco, measuring 720 × 420 cm, is called L’Attente du Minotaure (The Minotaur's Wait). It is part of the Tzovaridis's art collection in Athens. While staying on the Naxos island in the Cyclads, he created a series of works inspired by Cycladic art.

In Turkey and Cyprus, Saülo Mercader explored Eastern cultures and art. Their traditions and architecture became rich sources of inspiration for him. He exhibited paintings in Istanbul at the Biennial of Contemporary Art. Then, he showed his work in Bodrum and Nicosia. There, he met Turkish and Cypriot artists like Aylin Örek, Habib Gerez, and Feti Arda. These meetings opened up a new world of creativity that influenced his art.

In Germany, his colors became brighter and his subjects took on bolder forms. He exhibited in Berlin, Düsseldorf, and Köln. In Brussels and Ostende, he painted misty landscapes. In Amsterdam, he visited the Rijksmuseum and saw Van Gogh's self-portraits at the Van Gogh Museum. He exhibited in Utrecht, inspired by its romantic canals. All these places were like awakened dreams for Saülo Mercader. He painted, carved, drew, and wrote about his experiences, what he saw, and the people he met. In Paris, he became friends with Alechinski and Valerio Adami.

The city of Figeac in southern France hosted two exhibitions of his work in 1995 and 2000. These shows focused on the Minotaur theme and were called Les Hurlements du Taureau (The Bull's Howls). They received much attention from the media. In 2000, inside the art gallery, he painted one of his most important works: la Bachannale des Minotaures. This very large painting was later shown with other minotaur artworks at the Palacio del Infantado in Guadalajara and in Alicante, Spain.

Saülo Mercader has always been interested in sharing his knowledge. He was often invited to teach classes to young students. He took part in a program called L’Art à l’Ecole (Art at School). This program involved traveling exhibitions and special talks, supported by the Ministry of Youth and Sports.

Saülo Mercader often visits his home country, Spain. His exhibition El Euro y Los Minotauros (The Euro and the Minotaurs) in 2002–2003 was held at the Lonja del Pescado in Alicante. It was supported by the Alicante Town Hall, the Consortium of Museums, and the Generalitat of Valencia. He regularly exhibits in different parts of France. His exhibition Les hologénies de l’Etron at the Cervantes Cultural Institute in Toulouse was notable for its unique theme.

A few years later, he had the honor of representing Spanish artists living in Paris. This was at a reception at the Spanish Embassy, where he met King Juan Carlos.

In 2012, the French Embassy in Astana (Kazakhstan) officially invited him. He exhibited his paintings there for the French National Day (July 14). The press, media, radio, and TV widely covered his exhibition.

During his time in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, he visited amazing places. These included the Tangaly Petroglyphs, ancient monuments along the Silk Road filled with history and legends, and Mongol and Asian architecture. He also visited Edouard Kazarian's workshop in Almaty and many valuable museums. All these treasures became endless sources of inspiration for Saülo Mercader.

He often travels to Spain for public art projects. He creates stone or bronze busts and painted portraits, and also holds exhibitions. In 2007, he took part in the Fallas in Alicante. He created a bull using various materials, following the traditional style of the Ninots. This reminded him of his early years as an apprentice, when he learned construction techniques for building the Fallas.

Awards and Recognitions

Saülo Mercader has received several important awards:

• The Prize of the Vocation Fund in Barcelona, Spain.
• A grant from the French Government.
• The Fulbright Grant in 1981.
• He is a Commander in the Order of the Arts and Letters, a high honor from the French Ministry of Culture.
• He was awarded the Vermeil Medal of the City of Paris.

Saülo Mercader's Artworks

Paintings

His paintings show different styles depending on where he lived. During his time in Catalonia, he painted dramatic landscapes and subjects with symbolic elements. These included keys, candlesticks, sunsets, the moon, and portraits. In Paris, he created what he called "the Green series." These paintings mainly showed city people, homeless individuals, and mothers with children, telling poetic stories. Later, scenes of bullfighting and a series of minotaurs became common themes. These works often spoke out against censorship, injustice, loneliness, and wars. He painted a very large work called La Bacchanale des Minotaures. This painting was shown in Figeac, with support from various art organizations and the Spanish Embassy.

In New York, he was influenced by American football, the American way of life, Native Americans, and city scenes like towers and skyscrapers. Themes of couples and mothers with children appeared often in his work.

Inspired by the culture and traditions of the Australian Aborigines, he painted about 70 canvases. These works symbolized their Dream Time Mythology. Every trip abroad became a source of new ideas and artworks for him.

Sculptures

Saülo Mercader works with many different materials for his sculptures. These include terracotta, ceramics, stone, marble, and bronze. In 2007, he created a large monument for the City of San Vicente del Raspeig in Alicante, Spain. It is called Dona Lluna (Lady Moon). This bronze sculpture is 5.5 meters (about 18 feet) tall. It stands in the middle of a roundabout. Around it are 12 painted pieces of raw marble, which represent a lunar calendar. This monument is a unique temple dedicated to women, one of its kind in Europe.

Tapestries

In the late 1970s, Saülo Mercader wove several high-warp tapestries that he called "sacred." Some notable ones include Anamnèse, la Fatijah, and Rotor III. Rotor III is a large, three-dimensional tapestry. It was inspired by the shapes in sculpture and by the textile art of Sheila Hicks. He mixed different materials like plastic tubes, corks, and cloth. These were woven and added into the cotton and wool threads.

Major Exhibitions and Collections

Saülo Mercader's artworks have been shown at the FIAC (International Contemporary Art Fair in Paris – 1978). They have also been displayed in all the main French Salons in Paris. These include Salon d’Automne, Salon de Mai, and Salon des Artistes Français. His works have also been exhibited in other French cities like Bordeaux, Mérignac, Clermond-Ferrand, and Versailles.

His works are regularly exhibited in Spain, including two important shows in Guadalajara and Alicante. They have represented France and Spain at international Biennials in places like Genève, Alexandria, Valparaiso, and the Istanbul Festival. He has also had over a hundred solo shows around the world.

Saülo Mercader's art can be found in many private and public collections globally. These include:

• The Museum of Contemporary Art in Madrid (which holds Peras en Primavera).
• The French National Library (with engravings like "The poet").
• Teachers’ College, Columbia University in New York City (with "The Eight Profiles").
• The Bodrum Art and Archeology Museum in Turkey.
• The State Turkish Museum (with "Equilibrium of the Mind").
• The Cities of Tarragone and Guadalajara in Spain.
• The Tzovaridis's collection in Athens (which holds "L’Attente du Minotaure").

And many more.

See also

In Spanish: Saülo Mercader para niños