My name is Carlos Herrera. I’m a former software engineer turned metalsmith.

I began my career in computer science, building systems and writing code — learning structure, precision, and problem-solving at a technical level. Over time, that discipline found its way back to something more physical. What started as curiosity became craft. What started as logic became metal.

Only after I began working with silver and gold did I realize the meaning behind my own name — Herrera translates to ironsmith or blacksmith. It felt less like a pivot and more like a return.

Through El Vaciado — “the casting” — I work at the intersection of engineering and metal. The word refers to the moment molten material transforms from one state into another, taking on new form, meaning, and life. I leverage 3D modeling and printing techniques I first learned in college, combining them with traditional casting methods. Software engineering gave me the technical foundation; metal became the medium.

El Vaciado is where structure meets transformation.