Museu da Pedra hosts Nunes Pereira exhibition in Cantanhede

The “Calhau Rolado. Obra Pétrea de Nunes Pereira” exhibition is currently on display at the Museu da Pedra in Cantanhede, Portugal, until October 11. The showcase honors Monsenhor Nunes Pereira (1906–2001), marking both the 120th anniversary of his birth and the 25th anniversary of his death.

The exhibition features approximately sixty works sourced from the Oficina-Museu Nunes Pereira, the Seminário Maior de Coimbra, and the Museu Monsenhor A. Nunes Pereira. The collection highlights Pereira’s use of natural materials, including schist, fossils, pebbles, limestone fragments, and modeled clay, which he collected from locations such as Mata de Fajão, Buarcos, and the Algarve.

His artistic output spans religious, secular, animalistic, and abstract themes. Many pieces demonstrate how the artist utilized the inherent shapes of natural materials to reveal recognizable forms, often bridging the gap between nature and Judeo-Christian cultural references. The exhibition is a collaborative effort involving the Seminário Maior de Coimbra, the Museu Nacional de Machado de Castro, and several regional municipalities.