Iva Viana

Plaster and stucco worker

©Pedro Sadio

Braving the Stucco World

Iva conquered a masculine world to follow her passion for stucco
She trained with French sculptor Pierre Merlin
Her modern handmade stucco sculptures pay tribute to the past

Iva entered the stucco world by chance when she became a sculpture technician for a big French ornamental plasterwork company after graduating from the Faculty of Fine Arts in Porto. Her first project, to create a Corinthian capital, made her fall in love with the material. She battled her way in a masculine environment but her talent was noticed by a few older masters who helped her. A short but intense training in Nimes with sculptor Pierre Merlin encouraged her to leave her job and go it alone. Her master colleagues told her she would never survive, but she did. Today, her works can be seen around the world and her portfolio includes plasterwork panels created for hotels including the Four Seasons in London.

Interview

©Delfina Brochado

©Delfina Brochado

How would you describe your work?: My work is very site-specific, created exclusively for the space. After drawing comes the phase of modelling and sculpting in plaster. I also create moulds in silicone depending on the object. I apply old stucco techniques to contemporary lines and designs.
Does living in Viana do Castelo influence you?: Viana do Castelo is considered the city of stucco artisans in Portugal. I feel connected to this heritage. When I was still a student, I remember feeling sad when a stucco piece fell from the ceiling of the room I lived in and it was never replaced.
Why did you decide to open your workshop?: I felt a deep desire to start my own projects, to create with freedom and not be bound to a big company. In my studio I can just be with the material and explore the connection of manual stucco moulding with modern casting processes as I wish.
What do you love most about your work?: The fact that the whole creation process is artisanal. It is amazing to draw a piece and see it come to life once it is mounted in the space it was created for. It is an indescribable feeling. It's also a bittersweet moment when it is time to say goodbye.

Iva Viana is a master artisan: she began her career in 2007 and she started teaching in 2013