Artist Metalsmith Rocio Heredia

Rocío Heredia is a self-taught artist of the contemporary Mexican generation. Ms. Heredia uses the traditional metalsmithing techniques of chasing and repoussé in high relief to create fully detailed icon covers, Judaica, and figurative art designs on fine silver, copper, gold and tin. Currently she experiments with 24k gold fusion, textures and patinas. Rocío also teaches private classes and workshops on her Chasing and Repousse technique in Mexico and abroad.Her work reflects the evolving artistic and cultural traditions of Mexico, from the ancient Aztec and Teotihuacan societies to the complexities of the Spanish conquest, up to recent times. Since Rocío discovered her talent for fine arts as a child, and in 1997 devoted herself to metalsmithing.

Ms. Heredia began her career in metal art by creating ornamental panels with religious subjects drawn from Catholicism and Judaism. Her mentor, Master Painter/Sculptor Efrén Ordóñez, provided support and inspiration, and collaborated with Ms. Heredia to create panels featuring painted human figures. Ms. Heredia’s early work was exhibited in a one-woman show, “Divine Inspiration,” at the Loyola Cultural Center of Monterrey in May, 2001. Since then, Ms. Heredia has been the recipient of numerous recognitions and awards for skillful and passionately realized themes. She has studied with Valentin Yotkov in New York, and was the first recipient of the Valentin Yotkov Studio Scholarship. Ms. Heredia's works are in private collections in Mexico, the USA, Switzerland, Israel, Spain and Italy. Currently, Ms. Heredia divides her time among metal art, professional website creation (Web-Mex), and graphic design.

Ms. Heredia is a member of the Council for Arts and Culture of Nuevo León, the Society of American Silversmiths, and the Society of North American Goldsmiths. She holds a degree in Psychology from the Regiomontana University of Monterrey, Nuevo León. Crucial to Ms. Heredia’s work is the unusual way in which she has turned a physical handicap into a creative advantage. Suffering from visual impairment, she uses the sense of touch as a basic tool whose effectiveness is evinced by her finely-detailed, highly-wrought surfaces. Awards: Valentin Yotkov Studio Scholarship. 2001, Brooklyn, New York. 3rd. Place BTDesign Master of the Year 2001 Award, 2nd. Best Artworks & 2nd. Best Artsite, Faenza, RA, Italy. Metalwerx First Artist in Residence Award/Grant 2003, Waltham, MA. Dorothy MacKenzie Annual Purchase Award, 2004. Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, OH. The purpose of this annual award is to purchase an outstanding artwork for the Dorothy MacKenzie Collection of Jewelry and Metalwork, in Bowling Green State University’s permanent collection. Fred de Vos Studio Scholarship, Il Chiostro, Venice, Italy, 2005. Following her awards in 2001, Ms. Heredia began her ongoing collaboration with BTDesign Art Gallery, interviewing guest artists and evaluating sculptors for the Master Annual Art Award. Her interviews with prominent artists can be viewed at http://www.rocioheredia.com/interview .

Teaching: Ms. Heredia has offered workshops in repousse and other techniques at the Stockton Jewelry Arts School, in Stockton, CA; Metalwerx, Waltham, MA; Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, OH; and the Dolores Valenza Studio, New York, NY. She has taught private classes since 1997. Artist's Statement “My artwork expresses that which my words cannot. I strive for fine detail and precision, and have been told that, from a viewer's standpoint, it is intriguing to imagine what goes into the work. Chasing and Repousse are both dependent on a well-developed drawing ability and the correct use of the chasing tools. These metalworking techniques trained my eyes for the precision necessary to create harmonious images impressed in metal. Each piece is completely hand-made. The surface of every piece is colored with patina so to produce oxidation and then it is polished to enhance the three-dimensional quality of the design. I really enjoy going deep into the detail, no matter how much time it takes. Basically, I use my heightened sense of touch, which helps me to define what my eyes cannot perceive. The medium of metal is an inspiration to create art, and it moves me to choose my subjects... but lately, it looks as if the subject chooses me. My Saint George series is now an inspiration for some to conquer their own dragons... emphasizing the expressive importance of an icon, as well as the comprehension of its message”. ~ Rocio Heredia.

Repoussé describes an object made of metal, that has been shaped or ornamented with patterns in relief, made by hammering or pressing on the reverse side. The basic technique for creating repoussé is an ancient one, with specific techniques, tools, and materials dependant on history and culture.

Artist Metalsmith Rocio Heredia information added to Metal on 2006-01-07
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