Elena Ferro has been awarded with the National Crafts Award 2019 (12th Edition), receiving 7.000€ as a reward of her consolidated work. The ceremony took place on the 4th of December 2019, in Madrid (Spain) at the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Tourism and it was headed by the Minister Reyes Maroto, together with Raül Blanco, the General Secretary of Industry and SMEs, and the General Director of the EOI Foundation, Nieves Olivera.
Eferro company was founded in 1915 by Perfecto Ferro Cornado, Elena’s grandfather. Elena has known how to materialize the craft history of three generations and nowadays she is the leader of this workshop. Her work stands out because of her product, which is one of the main elements of the rural tradition in the region of the North of Spain: clogs. The jury has valued her professional career and her capacity to reinvent a traditional product into a new and innovative fashion accessory, where designs, colours and materials change continuously.
The Spanish National Crafts Awards are organized every year by the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Tourism through the School of Industrial Organisation (EOI) and its crafts promotion department, Fundesarte. Its objective is to promote the development and competitiveness of artisan SMEs as well as encourage innovation, design and capacity of adaptation to new markets.
90 candidates from all over Spain have been registered in this edition that has had five different categories: National Craft Award, Product Award, Entrepreneurship Award, Promotion Award for public and private institutions.
Paula Ojeda, from Galicia region, has received the Product Award for its collection called “Cut&Fold”. A series of pieces that explore the contrast between an accurate design and the irregularity of the crafting process. They are thought with an engineering mindset and made by hand. The series incorporate different designs, from jars, vases to dishes or bowls.
The creators of Aldanondo y Fdez S.L, a shoe company, have been awarded with the Entrepreneurship Award. Their project combines the value of traditional crafts with innovative ideas, from process design and use of new materials to communication and marketing strategies. A contemporary initiative that has been developed thanks to their global design vision and their commitment to experimentation, fostering synergies and collaborations between craftmakers and other creators. The complexity of their products is defined by their quality, sustainability, durability, distinction, comfort and user satisfaction.
FOACAL, Federación de Organizaciones Artesanas de Castilla y León (Association of craftsmen organisations of Castilla y León) has been awarded with the Promotion Award for private entities with its project called “Únicos” (unique). This initiative aims to promote craftwork between young graduates and people interested in crafts as a professional future. It is materialized through meetings, seminars and round tables organized at the different Art Schools of the region of Castilla y León.
The Promotion Award for public entities has gone to Diputación Provincial de Jaén (Provincial Government of Jaén) for its experimental project called “Crafts in Progress”. This project aims to design and establish guidelines and strategies for the design, production and marketing of a new craftsmanship concept. Over a year, ten artisans and eight designers have participated in twelve workshops (240 hours) to learn about marketing and design. Three collections with more than fifty products have been developed along this time.