Solo Ceramic
In these handcrafted clay pieces, imperfection is seen as a sign of authenticity.
Text: Mariana Abreu Garcia
A psychologist and two architects started doing pottery workshops after hours and soon discovered that working with clay was “a therapeutic thing”. Rita Viana Baptista, Rita Póvoas and Sara Oom de Sousa then decided to get together in a studio they improvised in a garage in Lisbon. From the weekly meetings, in 2018, Solo Ceramic emerged.
“Our first experience as a brand was at a very small Christmas fair”, recalls Sara. At the time, the pieces that the three friends produced were individually made, according to what they felt like. The 100 pieces they took to the fair flew in an instant.
Keeping manual and local production, they decided to make a first collection and add a solidary aspect to it. During 2019, they established a partnership to train and employ four inmates in Caxias prison. “In the past, it was common to have carpentry, metalwork, pottery in prisons, which unfortunately has been lost.”
This was followed, in 2020, by the Terracotta collection, where potters explore red clay in tea cups, pitchers, bowls, plates and candle holders. The production this time takes place in Alentejo, where two potters, father and son, work directly with the brand.
All pieces are handmade, often with small differences between them, always celebrated. The clay is glazed only where necessary, otherwise keeping the material in its natural state, with the texture and imperfections that are natural to it.
Fan of minimalism, this second collection “intends to preserve the memory of Alentejo tradition that has been lost in recent years”. The premise is, together with the potters, to keep this clay alive, modernizing it through design.
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