04/09/2013

Lladro – 60 years of cutting-edge porcelain production

The mere mention of Spanish company Lladró brings to mind the thrilling story of its three founders – brothers Juan, José and Vicente Lladró. In 1953, their shared passion for porcelain saw them build a small, Moorish-style kiln in the courtyard of the house they were born in – in the Valencian town of Almàssera – where they fired their first pieces. Despite its international fame, Lladró continues to be a family-run business with strong ties to the family. And, after six decades of being the best-known firm specialising in contemporary porcelain in Spain, it’s now also a leading company in the porcelain sector on a global scale.

One key to Lladro’s success lies in its unique methods of hand-crafting its pieces and its artistic knowledge, garnered after many years’ experience. All its pieces are hand-made in its workshops in an entirely hand-crafted way, so each piece is a one-off. From initial sketches until the firing process at high temperatures for a period of 24 hours, each stage is carried out by artists and craftspeople who delicately and meticulously execute each piece, from the moment it’s modelled out of clay or Plasticine and reproduced in porcelain to the point at which it’s painted and varnished. A big team of sculptors, painters, decorators and artists bring their specialist knowledge and experience to their work, so that each piece meets the highest artistic and technical standards. Once the pieces are made, each sculpture is subjected to various stages of quality control, and any pieces that don’t match the company’s strict standards of quality are promptly destroyed.

Since it was founded, the company hasn’t stopped experimenting with new ways to develop. Its broad portfolio encompasses classical figurines in muted colours and with a glossy finish, sculptural objects, more innovative, avant-garde designs and large-scale pieces termed ‘high porcelain’, which represent the company’s most artistic pieces. In turn, Lladró has contributed to the grand tradition of porcelain-making by developing its own techniques and new manufacturing processes which have helped to revolutionise this entire discipline. One of its most innovative techniques is single-firing, a method invented by the Lladró brothers; this results in a glassy finish and the pastel tones Lladró’s pieces are renowned for.

The Lladró family’s international vision, together with its enthusiasm for taking risks aesthetically, have led the company to collaborate with such artists and designers as the Aragon-based sculptor Pablo Serrano, Spanish studio CuldeSac, London-based German designer Bodo Sperlein and British design outfit Comittee.

Lladró’s desire to innovate saw it form a strong relationship in 2005 with the Spanish designer Jaime Hayón which truly kicked off in 2006 with his line for Lladró called Re-deco. This was later consolidated when he was appointed the firm’s artistic adviser in 2008, when he created the successful collection called Fantasy. Hayón currently advises on and takes part in the development of projects by Lladró’s brand Lladró Atelier, a laboratory of ideas that welcomes innovative ideas both by in-house and freelance designers. This provides a creative space to experiment with different, special projects which demand a different modus operandi and a thoroughly experimental approach when making porcelain pieces. Collections created by Lladro Atelier’s in-house team include The Parrot Party and Metropolis, while those designed by freelancers include the line, The Guest.

In addition to its extensive range of porcelain collections, the firm also offers functional objects, such as mirrors, lamps and homeware ranges like its Naturofantastic collection. This year, it has also invested in creating table lights and chandeliers out of porcelain, the perfect material to make them with, thanks to its subtle, delicate qualities.

Lladro has around 1,000 employees, several subsidiaries abroad, which allow it to understand the sensibility of each market it’s based in, and a network of its own shops in such major world cities and places as New York, Beverly Hills, Moscow, Tokyo, London, Beijing, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Singapore, Delhi, Mumbai, Madrid, Barcelona and Valencia. It also has over 2,000 points of sale in 120 countries. Its HQ in the so-called City of Porcelain, located in Tavernes Blanques, is open to any visitors who want to learn more about the world of Lladró. Over 15,000 of its fans visit its workshops every year and can see how its craftspeople work, as well as the Lladró Museum.

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Lladro – 60 years of cutting-edge porcelain production

Diary

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