Ana de Souza is a Brazilian designer and ceramicist behind each Oema piece. Ana designs and personally models, finishes, and glazes each ceramic piece at her private studio in Barcelona.

Her work is deeply rooted in personal memory—shaped by a childhood filled with daily rituals, gentle routines, and small pleasures that helped build a sense of wonder toward the everyday.

Ana's journey and Oema's history intertwined with the places and cultures that were part of her journey. While studying design and ceramics, Ana continued her exploration of the craft while living in various countries, including Brazil, Portugal, and Hungary.

Each of these experiences has profoundly impacted Ana's design sensibility, which is characterized by a combination of minimalist, elegant, and thoughtful forms. This unique blend creates the essence of the treasures that carry the Oema name.

When Ana founded Oema, she drew on her grandfather's and great-grandfather's pottery legacy to create contemporary and deeply personal pieces. She combines modern design sensibilities with a sentimental touch, creating both functional and meaningful pieces.

The act of shaping ceramics became, for Ana, a way to honor memory, place, and time.

The flower has become a symbol of Oema’s universe—a recurring inspiration to Ana’s work and one that carries deep familial meaning. Her grandmother Valquíria used to paint flowers on Mario’s pottery, creating a visual language that now lives on through Oema. For Ana, flowers evoke movement, tenderness, and renewal, connecting her present creations to her childhood memories.

The word Oema is derived from the letters of the sentence "Mario oleiro" in Portuguese, which translates to "Mario the potter". Mario de Souza was Ana’s grandfather and a highly skilled potter.