We introduce a family of piecewise-exponential functions that have the
Hermite interpolation property. Our design is motivated by the search for an
effective scheme for the joint interpolation of points and associated tangents
on a curve with the ability to perfectly reproduce ellipses. We prove that the
proposed Hermite functions form a Riesz basis and that they reproduce
prescribed exponential polynomials. We present a method based on Green's
functions to unravel their multi-resolution and approximation-theoretic
properties. Finally, we derive the corresponding vector and scalar subdivision
schemes, which lend themselves to a fast implementation. The proposed vector
scheme is interpolatory and level-dependent, but its asymptotic behaviour is
the same as the classical cubic Hermite spline algorithm. The same convergence
properties---i.e., fourth order of approximation---are hence ensured