Filipa Formigo

Ap'arte

Woodworker

©TCerveira

The path back to woodwork

Filipa’s love for wood is linked to memories with her carpenter father
She recovers local scrap wood to make functional and decorative pieces
She uses traditional techniques in non-conventional ways in her woodworking

Filipa Formigo’s deep connection to wood ties back to her childhood memories with her father's carpentry. She liked working with wood but never imagined opening her own workshop. “I studied conservation and restoration of movable cultural property. Initially I could not imagine picking up woodworking myself, as it is a very masculine field in my region,” Filipa says. However, when faced with unemployment, she found herself turning to wood. Today, Filipa makes unique handcrafted pieces from recovered wood which she combines with other natural materials, such as the sisal plant fibre. When creating her pieces, she often combines traditional techniques with modernity in non-conventional ways. As a result, her handmade stools, lamps, and other functional objects project the balance between the contemporary and the rustic.

Interview

©TCerveira

©TCerveira

Where do you source your wood?: I get my supply from local carpenters’ wood surplus, second-choice wood from a local sawmill, and scraps from construction work. I like working with this sustainable approach, which allows me to understand the characteristics of scrap wood and transform it into beautiful objects.
How connected to your region is your craft?: I use local wood such as pine from the Coimbra area, and I handweave the seats of my stools using the traditional sisal plant fibre, typical of my region. This technique is a tradition we are losing today, which is why I try to showcase it in my modern objects.
What do you love most about working with wood?: I cherish the childhood memories of watching my father work as a carpenter. I also love the tangibility of my work, having a piece of wood in my hand that I have chosen. Thinking about how I can transform it into a useful part of someone’s daily life appeals to me a lot.
When did you realise that woodworking would become your profession?: I always loved manual arts. I tried working with many different materials, but I had the strongest connection with wood. I never thought I would work with wood until I lost my job and found that woodworking was still there for me. I knew it was my path when I made my first stool and saw my mum sit on it.

Filipa Formigo is a rising star: she began her career in 2021 and she started teaching in 2024