Helena Imaginário

LUUMi Handmade

Lamp maker

©João Varela

©João Bacelar

©Gabriel Vicente

©João Varela

Radiant light made from hand weaving

Helena hand weaves her lampshades with natural fibres
She transforms flat weaving into three-dimensional supports
Her pieces are one-of-a-kind with vibrant colours and geometrical shapes

Helena Imaginário’s creative path unexpectedly steered her away from her initial technical training in conservation and restoration. It all happened during the Covid lockdown in 2020 when she began to restore old furniture to occupy her time. “I found an old string lamp in the rubbish bin, completely destroyed. I took it home and began to imagine it full of colour and new shapes,” she says. After approaching a nearby workshop to help build the wooden structure she wove the lamp back to life with coloured wool yarn. Since then, the self-taught artisan and rising talent opened a space in Evora’s town market, started studying design at the University of Evora and was invited to take part in the Lisbon By Design event in 2022.

Interview

©João Bacelar

©João Varela

How did you learn the techniques to make your unique lampshades?: I learnt on my own but I think we all remember trying out small nail looms at school. I actually use the same technique – there are no grand secrets. What comes next is creativity and my concentration so as not to make mistakes as my patterns are very geometrical.
What process do you use to make your lampshades?: Most people know the weaving process and the hours needed for that but I go further. The dyeing is 100% handmade and that requires folding, bleaching, making the ball of yarn. As for structures, I hand-sand my boning to remove all the wood fibres.
How do you balance tradition and modernity in your work?: I use traditional hand weaving and natural fibres but innovate by transforming the weaving from a flat to a three-dimensional support. New digital design tools also allow me to take new approaches to traditional carpentry techniques to ensure geometrically-perfect structures.
Are you hopeful for the future of hand weaving?: I am, but the biggest challenge for young people today is working on patience as they are accustomed to having everything quickly. New technologies are replacing know-how. I hope my work can show that it is possible to reconcile the best of both worlds.

Helena Imaginário is a rising star: she began her career in 2020