Julieta Álvarez

Ceramicist

©Cupof Couple

Beauty from imperfections

Julieta's jewellery is part art and part sculpture
Her ceramics have international appeal
She draws inspiration from fine art, fashion and nature

When she was a child, Julieta Álvarez used to play with clay pellets that her father, a sculptor, brought home. Later, she graduated in fashion design at the IED in Madrid. She studied ceramics with Resu Labrador. She started modelling clay after she had had enough of working long hours in front of a computer. She needed more real and less digital work. Nowadays, Julieta creates jewellery and decorative objects she models by hand, she applies enamel with brushes and finishes with a golden lustre. “My work is in a constant process of evolution and experimentation. I seek to create beauty out of the world’s imperfections.” Her creations have reached shops in the Pompidou Centre, the Reina Sofia and the Contemporary Art Museum of Luxembourg. Currently, Julieta is the designer of the new jewellery collections for the porcelain house, Lladro.

Interview

©David Diez

©Cupof Couple

What was the first lesson you learned from a ceramicist?: The major lesson I learned when I was studying with ceramicist Resu Labrador is that everything has to start with an idea. When this idea motivates and even obsesses you, it becomes the engine you need to find out, learn and explore beyond your technical knowledge.
How do you express tradition and innovation in your work?: All my technical work is very traditional: modelling by hand, glazing with brushes or firing in the kiln. I have tried 3D printing. Networking and internet sales have helped me to create an audience and maintain my brand.
Could your craft be in danger of extinction?: Not at all. In fact, I think quite the opposite. Craftsmanship is going through a splendid moment. Handmade things are becoming more and more valued. We no longer want pieces to discard every season. We want them to be special and to last in our wardrobes and homes.
What are your sources of inspiration?: I have always enjoyed researching the work of Georgia O’Keeffe, Yayoi Kusama, Barbara Hepworth, Pina Bausch and Elsa Schiaparelli, among others. At this moment, I am very attracted to the world of minerals, science fiction, solid versus liquid and exploring things that are 'broken'.

Julieta Álvarez is a master artisan: she began her career in 2005 and she started teaching in 2008