Sonia
20 x 27 x 5 cm 
Glazed earthenware, Jul 2023
 
Series of Castas stone, and earthenware glazed pieces inspired by portraits of people with mixed origins. Castas in Spanish refers to the classification of people based on race, which helps to perpetuate colonial power dynamics. Reflecting on decolonization and identity has been part of a personal journey, as she contemplates her homeland from a distance.
 
Denise Hermo (Buenos Aires, 1988) is an Argentinian designer and craftswoman, who experiments with clay at her studio in Brussels. Her work is influenced by ancient art, folk imagery, and the tribal cultures of Latin America. She approaches each piece seeking to obtain a good balance between old and new, ponder and play, the individual and the collective. She values researching, color, and ornament exploration as part of her creative process and opts for a human, hand-made, and unpretentious aesthetic.