Antoni Serra i Fiter

This ceramicist is regarded as one of the pioneers of the powerful new trend in Catalan ceramics, although he was not always able to dedicate himself to this art, as he had to combine it with working for commercial enterprises.
A concerned man, he began with painting, but did not pursue it as a career, and tried to enter the cultural circles of the time by attending discussion groups and art academies, as shown by the fact that he was one of the founders of the Academia Artística Libre (Free Art Academy) in 1903, which was also supported by painters such as R. Casas and S. Rusiñol.
His interest in chemistry and at the same time in art led him to devote himself to ceramics, thereby enabling him to establish links between science and art, and he introduced a new concept into this latter field: art ceramics; ceramics as a decorative object for a new bourgeoisie that was demanding such things for their homes.
In 1904 he set up his own workshop in Barcelona, where he made the works of sculptors such as E. Casanovas, Ismael Smith and P. Gargallo, and items based on designs by J. Pey (Gerro de l'Anunciació [Annunciation Vase], 1901-1907; MNAC collection). He worked with G. Homar producing porcelain versions for Casa Lleó Morera (1905; Passeig de Gràcia, 35) of the models prepared for him by the plaster cast maker J. Carreras. Four years later he closed the workshop and went to live in Olot, where he ran a factory called La Carmelita. He returned to Barcelona in 1914 and ran another factory there, Cucurny Hermanos, until in 1926 he set up his own factory, Serra, which he managed while also working as a teacher at the Higher School of Fine Crafts.
He gained general recognition thanks to the mentions and prizes he won at various events at home and abroad, and the dissemination of the items he made.