Meet Maria Cruz Saavedra | Emerging artisan and designerMaria Cruz Saavedra | Emerging artisan and designer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Maria Cruz Saavedra and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Maria Cruz, what is the most important factor behind your success?
The most important factor behind the success of my work is the personalization of each piece, and being able to interpret each client’s vision in order to create a piece that is unique and personal. It is not only the creation itself of the piece that is a personalized process, but the staging of it as well. The process of hanging or staging the piece is a flexible and fluid processes, to truly ensure that my work aligns with the client’s vision to the very end.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
My art reflects life itself. The very emotions and transitions in my own personal life are reflected in each of my pieces. Porcelain is an incredibly pure material; it can be molded in several different ways, shapes, and forms. Porcelain has a life itself, and its burning properties certainly provide each piece with unique movement. Patience is key to where I am with my work today. Working with porcelain is like working with a diva. And it must be treated like one in order to create your work successfully. It’s a constant exercise, which must be met with patience, as well as trial and error, depending on the state of the porcelain itself. You need to take note of the climate, the temperature, and most challenging of all, the cooling of the kiln. After all your work, opening the kiln is always a surprise due to all the factors that manipulate and affect the porcelain as it burns. Vieterre has taught me that nothing is perfect, and art goes through several transformations. As long as you work with patience and love for each piece, despite the imperfections, it is impressive.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I would first say to do a cruise around Miami on the boat, to see the iconic Miami sky line and views. Stop by the PAMM for lunch and a tour of the latest exhibit. Continue to Miami design district to see each store’s individual facade. End the night with dinner at KYU in Wynwood. A Sunday in Miami is well spent on the Key Biscayne beach. I’d then recommend lunch in Coconut Grove, or a bike ride around Miami Beach to the Rubell museum. If you end up at the Rubell, dine at Leku, one of my favorite restaurants in Miami.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My shout out goes to our beautiful planet earth and the nature that inspires Vierterre every day. While I have always experimented with different creative mediums, it was not until 2020 – mid pandemic – that the idea of Vieterre was born. With the world on lock down, I found myself spending more time in my backyard, admiring the palm trees, the orchids, and even the iguanas that make up the exotic flora and fauna of Miami. This inspired the idea behind Vieterre, which eventually expanded beyond the confines of my backyard to encompass the beauty of our oceans and sea corals. Now, I find that even the most abstract pieces of my work continue to be reflective of the nature. It is the simplicity and beautify of the world around us gives Vieterre the potential to grow.

Website: vieterre.com (is under construction )

Instagram: vieterre.porcelain