While in Beja, I had the chance to visit Heitor Figueiredo’s ceramic studio. Heitor is a friend of José, a local art teacher, who I rented an apartment from, and he thought I might like to see the studio. In a tiny village next to Beja (two hours SE of Lisbon), Heitor restored a little house making sure all the details were historically accurate. There’s a sweet little loft, several work spaces, a kitchen, and even chickens in the back! He’s made his own ovens for baking the ceramics. And I especially enjoyed all the vintage art posters around. The studio also houses Heitor’s toy collection! So many toys! The walls and shelves are filled with his own work (middle and right photo above) as well as paintings and drawings from local and other Portuguese artists. I love his playful sculptures that look like little Portuguese houses. I was so thrilled to enjoy a tour and a lunch in the sweet traditional kitchen (see on my Instagram here). Thank you, Heitor + José! Follow Heitor’s work right here.
Photos: Chelsea Fuss.
Lovely post, his studio looks magical!
What a wonderful place to see, thank you!
Hi Chelsea – I have just recently had the pleasure of stumbling upon your blog, and am enjoying your beautiful photography. I am planning to invest in a camera (I’m a beginner with big aspirations), and I’m wondering what kind of camera & lenses do you use? Also, I am now quite inspired to travel to Beja! Thanks for posting about this sweet place!
I really loved this space. It’s great to be able to buy something falling appart and turn it into something beautiful !