In an era defined by fleeting trends and digital illusions, Ana Hernando is emerging as a resolute force, shaping timeless emotion in a lasting way. With over 35 years of artistic experience, she has cultivated a singular language of sculpture that transcends the material to communicate directly with the soul. Rooted in classical tradition yet boldly contemporary, her multidisciplinary practice is a testament to leadership through vision, craftsmanship, and emotional depth.
Her work speaks not only of artistic mastery but of an unwavering dedication to authenticity. In a world often influenced by market forces, she has remained fiercely committed to the integrity of her process, working by hand, modeling with clay, and carving with reverence. Each piece she creates—sculptures, paintings, medals, or drawings—is a quiet act of resistance against haste, a call to return to the intimacy of creation and connection.
Beyond her studio, she has expanded her influence to include design innovation, literature, and education. Her entrepreneurial venture into functional art is now part of the Barcelona Design Museum’s permanent collection, revealing her ability to harmonize aesthetics with utility. As a teacher and author, she brings the same passion to mentoring and storytelling, guiding others through the intersections of creativity and purpose.
Hernando is not simply a sculptor; she is a leader of artistic consciousness. Her legacy is transformative, anchoring universal human emotion in form and reminding us that the highest value of such art is not only that it is seen, but that it is felt. Through her work, she offers refuge and revelation.
The Basis of Mastery
Hernando’s approach to sculpture, and also to painting, is deeply rooted in classical tradition yet distinctly contemporary in its execution. She is inspired by the masters who defined the language of form and space: Michelangelo, Henry Moore, Velázquez, Picasso, Brancusi, Rodin, and Matisse. She often explains that each of these artists inspired her to find her own identity, emphasizing how their influence served as steps to follow rather than limitations on her artistic development.
Her commitment to traditional techniques is unwavering. In an age where digital fabrication and technological shortcuts dominate many creative fields, Hernando maintains a hands-on approach that would be familiar to sculptors of centuries past. She prepares her own canvases, builds her structures by hand, crafts models exceeding two meters in height with clay, sculpts stone, and carves wood with minimal mechanical intervention.
“I still work by hand. Art offers us an intimate encounter and allows us to stop time. Being able to make my works with that love gives me the opportunity to take care of every detail.” “I enjoy the value of that unique piece, like each of us,” she declares proudly.
This dedication to craftsmanship extends beyond mere technique; it represents a philosophical stance on the nature of artistic creation. For Hernando, the physical act of making is inseparable from the emotional content of the work. Every chisel mark, every modeling gesture, every brushstroke conveys the artist’s intention into the material world.
The Language of Form
Hernando describes the essence of her work as “the search for the synthesis of emotions through balance, beauty, movement, color, refined volumes, and rhythm, with the human figure as the protagonist and with an abstraction where the viewer can see themselves reflected.” This synthesis is revealed in works that manage to be deeply personal and universally accessible.
Her artistic motto, “Art for Living,” encapsulates her belief that art should not exist in isolation from daily experience. Instead, her works are designed to convey “those emotions that we sometimes cannot express in words, that connect us to ourselves and to the world.” This philosophy transforms her sculptures and paintings from simple objects into conduits for human connection and understanding.
The creative process behind each piece begins with careful observation and reflection. Hernando always keeps a notebook and pencil nearby, capturing the nuances that will influence the outcome. “Sculpture doesn’t allow for many modifications, so those notes are very valuable to me,” she explains. This methodical approach ensures that by the time you begin working with clay, stone, or wood, you have already solved the fundamental problems of communication and expression.
A Sculpture Born of Crisis
Perhaps no work better exemplifies Hernando’s ability to transform universal human experiences into tangible form than her sculpture ‘We Are Embrace.‘ Created in 2020 during the global pandemic, this piece emerged from a moment when physical connection became simultaneously precious and dangerous.
“In the midst of the pandemic, I decided to create a work that would reflect the solidarity that defines who we are as human beings,” she tells us. The sculpture was conceived as a series of seven original bronze pieces, designed to connect seven places in a universal embrace. Four have found their homes, and three still await their destinies.
This work represents more than a response to a global crisis; it embodies this artist’s broader artistic vision: “A sculpture to reflect our essence, with lines full of strength and harmony and a volume that contains all emotions: compassion, help, encounter, and hope,” she describes. The piece demonstrates how sculpture can serve as artistic expression and social connection, offering viewers the opportunity to experience collective emotions through individual encounters.
Beyond Traditional Boundaries
Hernando’s artistic journey has not been limited to traditional sculpture. Her entrepreneurial spirit led her to develop the industrial design for a reversible double-walled mug, a project she called ‘C’UP Your Choice on Top!‘ This venture into functional design taught her valuable lessons about the relationship between art and business while producing pieces that have become part of the Barcelona Design Museum’s permanent collection.
Staying True in a Changing World
In an art world increasingly driven by market trends and social media visibility, Hernando’s commitment to her personal vision stands out. “I am a fully-fledged artist, and that has led me to remain true to what art is for me in each of my creative facets,” she tells us. This dedication to authenticity has allowed her to develop what she calls “a language of her own that connects with the viewer.”
Her approach to contemporary relevance doesn’t involve chasing trends but rather deepening her exploration of timeless themes. “Away from trends and fashions, I’ve been developing my own artistic language, connecting with those who approach my work. Over the years, this personal evolution can be appreciated, which gives value to my work,” she explains. This philosophy has proven to be both challenging and rewarding, creating a personal body of work that grows in significance over time.
The Enduring Power of Sculpture
Hernando believes that the power of sculpture lies in its unique relationship with space and time, emphasizing that sculptures are the artistic testaments that have best endured throughout history. While she acknowledges that new materials and technologies can sometimes reduce sculpture to mere spectacle, she maintains that its essential qualities remain unchanged. According to her, the three-dimensional nature of sculpture, its physical presence in space, and its invitation to touch contribute to its lasting impact.
This physical presence creates possibilities for connections that other art forms cannot replicate. Balance, beauty, and harmony, according to this artist, are the aspects that endure, and finding ways to convey these qualities remains an exciting challenge for her.
Thinking About the Future
Hernando is currently developing a new collection inspired by her poetry trilogy, “I Am. You Are. We Are. Essential Heartbeats.” This project incorporates simple technology designed to enhance, rather than replace, the fundamental message at its core. She also plans to produce a documentary that delves into the connection between artist and viewer through the lens of the artistic process.
Her vision for the future includes the strategic use of technology, but only when it can serve the deeper purpose of that work, when it truly makes sense and can enhance the message it conveys. “Technology is another tool at the artist’s disposal, which I may incorporate into future projects, when it brings true meaning to the work itself. Everything will come in due time,” she explains.
A Legacy of Connection
When asked what she hopes viewers will experience when encountering her sculptures a century from now, Hernando’s response reveals both humility and profound hope: “I wish my works had not lost their ability to move, offering the viewer the opportunity to stop time and connect. Art always waits for us to give us a break so we can move forward with our challenges.”
For Hernando, being an artist extends far beyond professional designation or mastery of the medium. As she wrote, “The artist’s way of seeing the world defines their work and represents the ability to share that emotion in order to make others feel it. An inalienable commitment to keeping universal emotions alive.”
In an age of rapid change and digital distraction, Hernando’s sculptures, paintings, and works serve as anchors for lasting human experiences that invite us to pause, reflect, and connect with something deeper than the surface of our daily lives. Through bronze and stone, pitcher and pencil, she continues to speak the universal language of emotion, creating works that remind us of our shared humanity and our capacity for beauty, connection, and hope.
