Célia Esteves & Claudia Vilas Boas

Rug by GUR

Weaver

©Celia Esteves & Claudia Vilas Boas

Weaving modernity into carpets

Célia and Claudia reinterpret traditional Portuguese handloom weaving
Their rugs gain an artistic dimension through collaborations with artists
They hope their project can stimulate young artisans to keep this craft alive

GUR is actually “rug” spelt backwards, a playful note from dynamic duo Célia and Claudia. Both women come from Viana do Castelo, a beautiful city in Northern Portugal with strong handicraft traditions. They met when Célia, working at the time in an artist’s print studio in Porto, participated in an exhibition at the Costume Museum. “Designers and artisans had to work on an object together. I chose the loom and Claudia was the artisan.” And so GUR was born as both believed in modernising the art of weaving. They collaborate with artists to create new designs for rugs while still using traditional wooden weaving looms and techniques. The results are fine examples of how precise ancestral gestures can step out of the past and into today’s world.

Interview

©Celia Esteves & Claudia Vilas Boas

©Celia Esteves & Claudia Vilas Boas

How do you divide your work?: Célia: We complement each other. I concentrate more on developing the design concept and establishing collaborations with local and international artists and illustrators. I usually weave the prototypes and Claudia with her expertise works on the final pieces.
How has collaborating changed the way you work?: Claudia: I started weaving when I was 14 years old and spent 16 years working in a traditional weaving company in Viana do Castelo where I learned all the traditional weaving techniques. I still use these but in a more artistic and creative manner which is exciting.
Is handloom weaving at risk in Portugal?: We believe it is and hope our work can reverse the tendency. The truth is that in the last decades people have burned their looms in the winter to use the wood. It is a very physical job and not well paid so it’s hard to motivate young artisans to learn the craft.
How do artists and illustrators to the creations?: The idea of involving artists and illustrators was to open a very traditional sector and show it can still be relevant today by associating it with art and design. Thanks to their ideas we are constantly challenged and pushed to perfect our craft.

Célia Esteves & Claudia Vilas Boas are master artisans: they began their career in 2012 and they started teaching in 2018