07.03.2023
Mar Del Hoyo (1985) was born in Barcelona and apart from being an actress and the creative director of her jewelry brand, she is also a ceramist. Fascinated by her creations, we got in contact with her to reinterpret the shapes of KALEOS in a sculpture.
We visited her in her wonderful studio (by now you know about our obsession with beautifully cared-for spaces) to speak with her about her creative career and her relationship with shape.
Can you tell us a bit about your creative career? When did you know you wanted to follow a creative path?
I've always been attracted to art, expression, and creativity, although as a child I didn't relate it to a profession. I do remember a specific moment when I went to the cinema to see All About My Mother when I thought: "I want to do this, to make people feel this kind of thing". I think that's when I decided to become an actress, and many years later, after having a more or less consolidated career, ceramics came into my life by surprise, which was a real turning point in my life.
How did you start working with ceramics? /strong>
I met by chance a ceramist who was a relative of my boyfriend's. We were on vacation in France and she invited us to her studio. - she makes incredible vases and pieces. There she gave me my first little piece of clay, which I used to make my first earrings. It was like a love affair, and when I went back to Barcelona I enrolled in ceramics classes. At that time, I only made earrings it seemed that I wasn't interested in anything else! But through trial and error, I learned about the whole process of creation. Little by little I went deeper and deeper and enrolled in an art school, although in reality, I have always been self-taught, learning by doing.
Ceramics, in that sense, is very inviting because you can throw yourself into it without having much of an idea on a technical level, which I think activates a lot of creativity.
Can you tell us a bit about how Levens, your jewelry brand, started?
It all came about by chance and very naturally. As I said, when I started making ceramics I was obsessed with earrings, so I immediately had a lot of them, and as Adrià, my partner, is a photographer -and photography was part of our everyday life-, we started taking photos of the pieces. I opened an Instagram account to share them and soon stores from all over the world started writing to me, interested in selling them. So, the business started without any plan, not even the intention of making it a profession. I simply followed what was happening and solved the needs that were appearing daily.
This very organic way of creating Levens actually sets a lot of the personality of the project. It has to do with the art of flowing, of being present and attentive to what is happening. It's something very linked to improvisation, so it connects me with "the Mar actress", I think it's the way in which my creativity develops.
What concepts did you have in mind when you created this sculpture for KALEOS?
From the beginning, it was clear to me that I wanted to play with sizes, and that it wasn't a sculpture of realistic size. As for the shape, after some tests playing with the literal and the abstract - as I've already told you, my process is very much based on experimentation - I went for a very abstract and conceptual option. It is about geometric shapes, but with a very organic, natural feeling. Although at first sight, you wouldn't say it's a frame, you can appreciate the decomposed form with its different elements: an eye that is behind the hole, a nose where the main part of the frame sits, and some rods. It is an interactive sculpture, as the vision - and even the meaning - depends on the person's point of view. In addition, the fact that they are independent parts connects them to the process of creation and production of each frame.
What is your relationship with shape?
I have a rather particular relationship because I like shapes that are a bit imperfect in reality, I don't look for millimetric. For me, the combination of shapes is also very important. I think that when two things fit together, they enhance each other. I find that the most interesting thing when I create my pieces is when two shapes fit together I feel like I've found something!
What future projects do you have in your hands?
At the moment I feel I have a lot to learn. New things are appearing: techniques, materials... and I let myself be carried away by what catches my attention. Now, for example, I'm very interested in crystal. One of my collections is with borosilicate, a glass that is worked in a particular way, with fire. I think I have to continue like this, finding new ideas and learning how to make them come true.
Are there any other creative directions you would like to explore in the future?
I think once you start working with your hands you realize that this is a long-term learning process - after years I feel like I still don't know anything! I'm acquiring new knowledge and tools to take my creations further, but I always feel I'm in a continuous learning process. And deep down, I think this is what I like the most, if I felt I already knew everything, I would lose interest. At the end that's what life is to keep learning with humility is pure motivation.