Surrounded by his family, friends, and prominent figures from the Galician cultural scene, sculptor Maxín Picallo was honoured with the Fourth Oia Monastery Recognition Award.
The ceremony took place in the Monastery cloister, with the aim of recognising and celebrating Picallo’s artistic contribution, dedication, and work both to the Cistercian Monastery and to the wider field of sculpture. Picallo is an artist who began carving wood as a child. He later moved to Santiago de Compostela to study at the School of Arts and Crafts, further developing his vocation as a sculptor, where he was a student of Francisco Asorey.
During the event, attendees reflected on the sculptor’s personal and artistic connection with Oia Monastery. Born in Troáns (Cuntis), Picallo later moved to Tomiño, before settling in Oia in the 1970s, where he created several works that can still be seen at the Monastery today.
Among his most notable works is the well-known horse sculpture, designed as a fountain for the cloister garden but never fully completed, as well as other pieces located throughout the Monastery gardens, all created by Picallo.
Oia Monastery publicly expressed its gratitude for the sculptor’s delicate and enduring contribution, particularly his work on the fountain and his wider artistic legacy. It also highlighted the importance of recognising his extensive body of work across Galicia, the Valencian Community, and other parts of Spain.
This Fourth Recognition Award follows previous editions: the first was awarded in 2019 to Mr Joan Salvador, the last surviving prisoner of the Monastery during the Spanish Civil War; the second to researcher Francisco Javier Costas Goberna; and the third, awarded posthumously to Mr Grato Amor and Mr Carlos del Río, for their research and contribution to the Portuguese Coastal Way of the Camino de Santiago.
