We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Viviane. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Viviane below.

Viviane, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?

The most meaningful project I’ve worked on is an ongoing ceramic exploration titled “Lo que no se ve” (what lies unseen). It emerged from a moment in my life where the contrast between what others perceived and what I was living internally became impossible to ignore. From the outside, my marriage appeared calm and beautiful; inside, I was carrying a quiet suffocation that settled as a constant knot in my throat.

This project translates that contradiction into a sculptural vessel shaped like the arched neck of a woman searching for air. A single flower blooms from her mouth, its stem descending into the deepest part of her throat. The water that nourishes the flower—what others see as life and beauty—becomes the very thing that drowns her.

“Lo que no se ve” matters to me because it gives form to experiences that are often invisible: the dissonance between external harmony and internal collapse, the weight of learning to smile while sinking in silence. Although the piece is still developing, it has become a way to reclaim my voice and honor everything I once hid.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I’m a Mexican designer and ceramic artist with a multidisciplinary path that has shaped the way I create and understand objects. I studied Architecture in Mexico, completed a furniture design program in Florence, and later earned an MFA in Industrial Design from SCAD in the United States. For several years I navigated the world of design from different angles—co-founding a studio, participating in exhibitions like SaloneSatellite and Design Week Mexico, and working as a Sales and Design Specialist at Herman Miller.

A few years ago, my life shifted in a profound way. I left the United States, ended my marriage, stepped away from my company, and resigned from my job. That moment of starting over pushed me to rethink everything—what I wanted to build, how I wanted to live, and what actually brought me balance. In that search, I reconnected with ceramics, a medium I had first explored during my time at SCAD and one that immediately felt honest, grounding, and essential.

Back in Mexico, I immersed myself in learning. I studied wheel-throwing at Casa Ceniza and volunteered as an assistant in workshops led by Maxine Álvarez, including Habitar el Paisaje, as well as in a masterclass by Japanese ceramicist Hiroshi Aoki. I later trained intensively with Spanish ceramist Juan Ortí. These experiences shaped the way I approach clay—slowly, attentively, and with deep respect for material and process.

Today, I work in the Research & Development department at LOFA Ceramics, where I help create new glazes, support collaborations with artists, and contribute to technical and creative development. Parallel to this, I’m nurturing a personal project called “Lo que no se ve” (what lies unseen), an ongoing body of work that explores internal emotional landscapes and the quiet contradictions we learn to hold.

What sets my work apart is the combination of technical design training with a deeply personal, introspective approach to form. I’m interested in objects that hold emotional weight—pieces that invite reflection while still existing as functional art.

What I’m most proud of is finding the courage to rebuild my life and align my work with who I am today. For anyone discovering my practice, I’d love them to know that my pieces come from a place of honesty, from a desire to connect, and from a belief that design and craft can help us understand ourselves in quieter, more intimate ways. My long-term dream is to open a ceramic studio dedicated not only to making, but to teaching creative processes that help others give shape to their own stories.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

For me, the most rewarding aspect of being an artist is the possibility of transforming something internal into something that can be shared. As Georges Braque said, art is a wound turned into light, and that idea resonates deeply with my process. Creating is an introspective journey where I move through many emotions—pain, frustration, joy, and quiet delight. Each piece becomes a way of giving shape to what I’m living inside, and there is something profoundly meaningful in watching those emotions take form, breathe, and connect with others.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

Last year, I made the difficult decision to end my seven-year marriage with my partner, best friend, and co-founder of our studio, Design VA. It was the most significant pivot I’ve ever faced—one that affected every part of my life. At 34, as a woman in Mexico, starting over felt overwhelming. I realized that I had spent years fulfilling expectations that were not truly mine, to the point where I no longer knew what I enjoyed, what inspired me, or what I wanted my life to look like.

Even in the hardest moments, I held on to the belief that painful transitions often carry the possibility of deep personal growth. And they did. A year later—after changing countries, career paths, and the rhythm of my life—I’ve rediscovered passions I thought I had lost and found balance in the culture, community, and creative projects that now surround me. This pivot taught me that rebuilding from the ground up can be a quiet, powerful way of returning to yourself.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @viviane.e.muda
• Linkedin: http://linkedin.com/in/viviane-hernandez

Image Credits

Personal Photo credit to Corrina (@corrina_)