FARAH HERNANDEZ PORCELAIN
FARAH HERNANDEZ
START-UP COSTS: ‘When I relaunched the business in 2017, I had R500, a kiln and a box of old stock,’ says Farah. TURNOVER: ‘We’ve been making stable growth and are able to invest a bit of money into growing the business.’
‘ If this wasn’t my job, I’d still be sitting in my studio,’ says Farah Hernandez. ‘Other people watch movies at night; I’m in my studio moulding clay.’ Her pieces range from handcrafted paper-thin vases and wall hanging planters to illustrations on porcelain.
In 2011, Farah was selected for Design Indaba’s Emerging Creatives programme, which required her to exhibit at the expo. ‘The exhibition was a huge success,’ she says. ‘I sold almost everything, and people started placing orders. That’s when it became a full-scale business.’
When Farah fell pregnant, she and her husband at the time decided to travel Europe. But things didn’t work out as planned, and she returned to SA alone, and ‘had to start from scratch’.
Farah returned to her business just over a year ago, and she’s re-established herself as a businesswoman and artist. The most popular pieces in her collection are the ‘boob ladies’ (cups and bowls adorned with a set of breasts), a deeply personal collection. ‘It started out as a self-healing venture after my separation from my husband. I was struggling to find my feet, to revive my business and be a single mother.’
Farah also hosts workshops where she creates a safe space for women who come to her studio to sculpt their own ‘boob pieces’ and discuss issues relating to womanhood. ‘This collection was about finding beauty in all kinds of boobs – saggy boobs, the nipples that look funny…’ she says. ‘It’s about making peace with those parts of ourselves.’
Her biggest challenge in getting the business going the second time was having to do everything herself as she couldn’t afford to employ staff. ‘You become the designer,
salesperson and marketing person. It was exhausting having to keep up with sales, make more sales, expand…’
Her latest collection, she says, shows that beauty and harmony don’t always equate to perfection. ‘They’re very delicate, very strong porcelain pieces, but they have awkward handles. I include all the awkwardness and imperfections.’
The advice she received from her father, who was also an artist, continues to encourage Farah. ‘He’d say: “If you choose something unconventional, you’re going to have to work twice as hard, but it is possible.” Having that freedom always gave me a clear idea of what I wanted to do.’