My Story

Sonja Hernandez grew up in Western North Carolina, steeped in the crafting traditions of the Southern Appalachians. She would often accompany her grandmother, an avid crafter, to the studios of artist friends, where Sonja would watch them work, enraptured.

 

During high school, she sat at a potter’s wheel for the first time and was instantly hooked, deciding that if she must grow up and get a job she would be a potter. She later earned a Professional Craft Degree with a ceramics focus from Haywood Community College.

 

For Sonja, working with clay fosters a sense of connection with the Earth, and provides a medium for her need to create objects that balance beauty, whimsy and function.