Portuguese Crafts

21 - 26 November 2005

Flow is one of the four retailers taking part in London wide promotion of Portugese Design and Crafts, Des+gn Mais this autumn.

flow exhibition of contemporary Portugese crafts will mainly comprise contemporary jewellery as it seems to be the most vital and exuberant form of artistic expression in the country. Portugese jewellery of today is exciting, vibrant and humourous. Some jewellers allude to the historical references such as the country’s rich catholic traditions or its cuisine and in particular delicious patisseries. The use of interesting non precious materials in particular textiles is present in the work on show.

The rings of Madalena Avelar make references to the traditional portraits of saints found in churches, some necklaces resemble rosaries and use unusual non precious materials. These are all powerful statements of what jewellery means to people today. The laminated paper cake doilies in primary colours inspired by those used in the oldest café in Lisbon Confeteria Nationale by Vera Manzoni create a wonderful dialogue between the present and the past. With her delicate use of form and imagery in silver brooches Alexandra de Serpa Pimentel explores the tradition of Portugese lacemaking.

Leonor Hipolito talks about her “Tissue” jewellery series: ‘the cell is formal and symbolically the most important element in this series and is the basis of structural patterns. By joining repeated shapes in groups, web-like textures form “tissues” and establish a symbolic relation between body and adornment. Each jewel becomes a body extension that covers us like a second skin.

Through the dramatic change of scale flow will also present Ana Mestre's sculptural seating in cork created from hundreds of small cork balls that resemble a necklace. In addition, flow presents organic glass vases by Fredrica Bastide Duarte based on her anatomical drawings, Teresa Ramos' porcelain tiles and vases, Anna Westerlund's tactile stitched ceramic bowls, Hugo Silva's woven bowls made from recycled Tetra Pack packages, and Fernando Brizio's ceramic bowls stained by leaking felt pens.

Rita Faustino

Designwise