Belén Herrera
Miniature Ceramicist, Barcelona
Creating small spaces telling big stories.
Belén History & Studio
Discovering the Miniature World
Belén found her own category — ceramic objects so small they fit on a fingertip. Teacups the size of espresso cups, pitchers the height of a pencil tip, mini vases built as rehearsal for a much larger world. The process is identical to full-scale ceramics, only compressed to the radius of a wrist. She throws each piece on a miniature wheel, dries it by fire, throws again, seals it, fires it in a kiln at 1200°C, paints it with engobe (colored ceramic slip), glazes it, and fires a second time.
Documenting the Process
Filmmaker @castanea.mov documented the full sequence in a three-part short film — exactly the kind of close-up narrative that drives the work. Her shop lives between a balcony in Barcelona on sunny days and the workshop with the kiln. The brand is sold through her own Shopify store (herrstudio.myshopify.com) with a catalog of 25+ tiny vases, cups, and custom mini-objects. Her constant studio companion is a black cat named Pirirutti.
Classes and Growth
Mini-wheel classes for students will soon launch. Belén is expanding her offerings while staying focused on the miniature and its narrative potential. Her "Mini Skatepark" project — an experimental miniature work where she builds entire scenes from ceramic elements — shows this direction.
Handmade
Every object is thrown on a miniature wheel, painted with engobe, and glazed by hand by Belén.
Sustainable Practice
She uses ceramic clay and traditional double-firing methods at 1200°C without synthetic additives.
Small Batch
A catalog of 25 unique forms and glaze palettes; each tiny vase or cup is unique within its series.
