COVETED MAGAZINE PAGE 37.
Inspired by the oriental vibe, there’s nothing more authentic in
Asian art than porcelain. Once Open a Time is a cabinet crafted with
precious floral and colourful details, a garden full of Paeonia flowers,
where two mythic Chinese birds live. These sacred birds, known
as Chinese phoenixes, represent the masculine and the feminine
side of a soul and are painted in shades of blue, pink, yellow and
green. Inside, the cabinet is coated with blue suede and mirrors. The
remarkable masterpiece is fully hand-painted and took 500 hours of
hard work to complete, thanks to the most talented master artisans.
Unlike most contemporary design whose only innovation is a
modern twist on a dated idea, the Pixel Bar Cabinet does exactly
the opposite. It uses a variety of traditional production techniques
to craft an avant-garde furniture piece that’s elegant, joyful and a
perfect match for the digital age. However, this time a new story
has been written by master artisans who love new challenges and
never cease to improve. That’s where Vista Alegre’s extremely
detailed hand-painted porcelain comes in and certainly elevates the
one-of-a-kind piece.
Full of pride and joy, standing in front of this marvellous handcrafted
artwork, Nuno Barra, Vista Alegre’s Marketing Director said: “[Today
we begin our journey in the furniture field. Exclusive designs,
limited pieces, but all of them incorporating hand-painted porcelain
and/or crystal. This will always be a small niche inside Vista Alegre
and a more exclusive one than usual, thanks to its limited editions.
Boca do Lobo helped us give our first steps in the furniture world,
that’s why we decided to choose one of its exclusive designs, the
Pixel Cabinet, but give it a twist with Vista Alegre’s vision. Once
Upon a Time is all hand-painted and took around 500 hours of hard
work by the most talented master artisans]”.
To Marco Costa, CEO and Creative Director of Boca do Lobo,:
“[This collaboration grew naturally, since Boca do Lobo and
Vista Alegre share the same mission – to elevate Portuguese
design and create a long lasting and bright future for ancient
craftsmanship techniques]”.
NEWS & TRENDS //
Together, these two successful, creative and innovative
Portuguese brands recreated history, conceiving the finest
handcrafted functional art with an essential artistic value, filled
with authenticity and legacy.
Since 2005, Boca do Lobo specialized itself in exquisite, sophisticated
furniture design where it makes ancient techniques, like filigree,
shine. Master artisans, the makers, have a key role in the creation
of the designs.
Vista Alegre was founded in 1824 and is one of the most ancient
porcelain productions in the Iberian Peninsula. It is based in Ílhavo
but it is also an international reference – it even created a collection
with Christian Lacroix.
There is nothing more honourable than recognizing how precious
the detailed, dedicated and precise work of the creative hands and
minds is. It is thanks to the alliance of thinkers and makers that
design and art miracles like this truly can happen.
From Portugal to the world, these two brands celebrate the
Portuguese design at the highest level. The first design piece is now
exposed in the new Vista Alegre concept Flagship Store in Porto.
Rogério Timotteo, artist;
Nuno Barra, Marketing director;
Paulo Neves, artist.
