At Echeri Ceramics we often say that our business is not necessarily about the ceramics, but the community and the people we get to work with to bring the ceramics dinnerware & home decor to you. This is Ale, our production assistant, and collaborator. Read more about her on our blog and the thought behind her Toro.
What's your role in Echeri Ceramics
● Currently at Echeri Ceramics I am a Production Assistant. I help with expediting orders, mold making, and overall just enjoy being a part of behind the scenes at Echeri Ceramics.
What is your current favorite item to use?
● When at the warehouse I am currently obsessing over the mallet we use for mold making. It’s silly to say but it really helps with creating the pieces over at Echeri. It also truly shows the hard work and physical labor that goes into creating a piece and I definitely have found myself sore after working with it, haha.How would you describe your artistic style?
● This is a big question! I would say that I like to mess around with realistic aspects and add illustrative elements to my artwork. As an artist I think it’s safe to say that our styles are forever changing but I do find comfort in knowing where I’m at right now and excited to see where I go next.What is your Medium of choice and why?
● As of right now my favorite mediums are gouache and graphite. Both are pretty much
opposites in what they can produce but allow me to explore the depths of my creativity.
Gouache allows me to play with colors and expression while graphite allows me to
challenge my skills with value and channel emotion into my pieces.
What has influenced or inspired your work?
● The need to “find” my art style has been my biggest motivator. I also tend to explore new mediums and see what it is I'm feeling at the moment. If I want to explore oils, acrylic, lino cutting, etc then I allow myself to venture out and learn new skills. I find that sometimes an artist’s style can expand as far as they challenge themselves— sometimes this means trying out new mediums and sometimes it means practicing the hell out of amedium.
What is the idea behind the artwork on the Torro?
● I really wanted to challenge my illustrative side and incorporate my culture into this piece. From an early age my pa would take my siblings and I to view matador
bullfighting in Mexico, so of course I grew up viewing it as a part of our culture. But
when I was younger I also started to challenge my view on how we treated our animals and our relationship to all things nature. In my mind there was this tug between culture and morality... between nostalgia and reality. This piece was created as a way to evoke the beauty and bullying that we have with nature, and specifically in this instance— bulls. Oftentimes bulls are seen as these tough and killer animals but they are also soft and gentle beings. This piece showcases the duality that exists between man and nature and akes on the topic of “man versus nature” and “man and nature.”
