Eva Hernández

Ceramicist | Madrid, Spain

Recommended by

Tomás Alía

A emotional connection with clay

Eva always wanted to be a sculptor
She compares her need to model clay to a drug addiction
She masters a very personal technique with enamel

Eva Hernández grew up in a family very fond of art. She learned her first techniques from her father, who was a master of enamelling over copper. She has always wanted to be a sculptor and clay gave her the opportunity to create a very personal universe filled with plates, bowls, jars, trays, tableware and funeral urns for animals. “I love to design pieces for everyday life,” says Eva. “I believe that ceramics should be considered a major art since it combines painting, sculpture and enamelling in the fire.” She also feels that everybody has memories of ceramics, while handcrafted clay and enamelling bring to life deep feelings of creation. She is particularly inspired by nature and ancient civilisations.

Interview

Did you undertake any formal ceramics training?: I studied art at university and afterwards went to ceramics school. It was like coming back to my roots, to childhood. My father worked with enamels over copper, he was always in contact with fire. But my best schooling is the mistakes I make.
Can you describe your connection with clay?: I love the thrill of crafting with an ancestral material, of touching the earth with my hands. The entire process is like a drug addiction for me. It also fascinates me that you can’t control ceramics, since fire always has the last word. I have always wanted to be a sculptor and clay gives me that opportunity.
What techniques do you like the most?: I use some enamels that are made with a unique formula and special colours to decorate pieces. I fire every piece three times and that leads to perfection in the finish.
What's your working environment like?: I like to retire myself into my universe when I work. I call my workshop my underworld. I work for some specialised shops in Spain, the United States and Europe. Every piece is unique. If my clients let me be free, the result is better, it attains more precisely what they are looking for.

Eva Hernández is an expert artisan: she began her career in 2007