Today we’d like to introduce you to Erniel Chacon.
Hi Erniel, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I was born in Santiago de Cuba, where I grew up in a culturally rich neighborhood that
sparked my interest in drawing, craftsmanship, and making things by hand. As a child,
I built many of my own toys from found and recycled materials, an experience that
taught me to see creative potential in ordinary objects. I later completed an elementary
course in painting and drawing while also growing up in my father’s welding shop,
watching him transform raw steel into functional objects. Those two worlds—art and
metalworking—would eventually define my career.
While I was in high school, my supportive mother noticed how much time I spent
drawing and encouraged me to apply to the prestigious local Academy of Art. After
passing the entrance examination, I was exposed to a wide range of artistic disciplines,
materials, and techniques. My professors recognized a particular aptitude for sculpture
and encouraged me to develop metal-based work, which ultimately led to my
acceptance into the Superior Institute of Art (ISA) in Havana, Cuba.
I grew up mostly without my father, he left for Miami when I was just 13, but we
remained close. He knew the work I did at the ISA, and was aware of the limited
opportunities available to me in Cuba to live and work as an artist.
In 2016, my father presented me with an interesting opportunity – to come to Miami,
live with him, and work as a restorer. That would mean leaving the country I was born
and raised in, possibly to never return. It was a weighty decision. But I felt a pull – a
magnetic attraction almost – regardless of how difficult the change would be, I felt
drawn to a life of art in Miami.
In 2016, I moved to Miami. The plans to work as a restorer fell through. Looking back,
I’m grateful they didn’t, because that unexpected change helped me discover my own
direction. Moving to the United States also gave me the opportunity to expand both my
artistic practice and my expertise in metal fabrication.
It also gave me the opportunity to work alongside my father. Working with my father
became one of the most formative experiences of my career. It deepened my
understanding of fabrication while shaping my relationship with raw materials,
structure, and craftsmanship. One of my earliest sculptures after arriving in Miami was
Magnetic Field.
Magnetic field is a 6-foot tall, metal sculpture. It’s a giant horseshoe magnet painted in
red and powder-coated chrome on top of a welded assortment of nuts, bolts, screws
and tools that act like legs. The magnet attracts those elements while at the same time
it works as a support for the magnet. It gives one the sensation of levitating.
Magnetic Field gives the sensation of energy defying gravity – that uncontrollable pull I
felt in Cuba. I didn’t see it at the time, but it was an obvious and symbolic self-portrait
that represented the invisible force that drew me to this country and to an artist’s life
working in Miami.
In 2019, I founded EC Studio Corp., a multidisciplinary design and fabrication practice
that bridges artistic vision with technical expertise. My background in both sculpture
and industrial fabrication allows me to approach every project from concept through
engineering and fabrication. I design and create custom metal pieces that are both
practical and sculptural, transforming industrial materials into meaningful forms that
combine durability, craftsmanship, and artistic expression.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The journey has not been easy. Starting over in a new country required adapting to a new culture, language, and professional environment. Like many immigrants, I had to establish new relationships, and balance full-time fabrication work with my long-term goal of developing an independent creative practice.
An ongoing and wonderful challenge is knowing the materials well to achieve the right visual result. it’s forced me to educate myself about design problem solving and learn how my works integrate into the spaces they occupy. The learning just never ends.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I’m a creative sculptor. My work combines forged steel, welding, woodworking, and
fabrication techniques to create a dialogue between the industrial and the organic. In
2019, I founded EC Studio to design sculptural furniture, architectural features and
custom functional objects for homeowners and businesses. Today EC Studio crafts
commissions that are uniquely designed, carefully engineered, visually compelling, and
structurally sound.
I specialize in fine art and functional art. I find inspiration in art movements that
combine design, craft and art. I’m motivated by the idea of being the kind of artist that
creates something useful for society. I have found the American market needs these
creative sculptures to also serve a function – as architectural elements or furniture as
examples.
What sets me apart from others is the way I combine materials. My experience in
fabrication – in the construction industry, has allowed me the skills to combine metal
with a variety of materials. And the artistic side of me likes to make my designs exhibit
sculptural and artistic elements.
Of course as an artist I’m really concerned with the result, but that result depends on
so many steps along the way – the process of forging or welding (applying heat) to
bend, manipulate and transform metal must be done with precision. I can’t imagine
doing what I do without the years of experience – I couldn’t imagine being able to
match my original vision of a work without this precision.
What I am most proud of is bridging two disciplines that are often viewed separately:
the precision of industrial fabrication and the imagination of fine art. I believe
craftsmanship should never be reduced to mere production. Functional objects can
also embody beauty, symbolism, and meaning.
This philosophy is reflected in a statement by John Ruskin that guides my work, “Life
without industry is guilty, and industry without art is brutality.”
To me, this means that we have a responsibility to build, make, and contribute through
meaningful work. Yet when industry loses beauty, creativity, and human care, it reduces
people to machines and the built environment to mere utility. Both will be soulless.
Do you have recommendations for books, apps, blogs, etc?
It has been a combination of revisiting art history many times and some technical skill books. We have a big amount of videos on you tube: curious muse, never to small, weld.com. I have read books about metal surface, architectural forge, but the the principal is how to learn to perceive details around you.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @ernielchacon
- LinkedIn: Erniel Chacon
