Margarida Fernandes

Ceramicist

©Sanda Vuckovic

©Makiko Murase

Patience and perseverance

Margarida creates refined porcelain pieces
She studied design and transitioned to making
She doesn't consider ceramics a "yoga craft"

When Margarida Fernandes graduated in Product Design from Lisbon’s Fine Arts Faculty, she knew that she also wanted to learn ceramics and master the whole process from designing to making. Finding an apprenticeship opportunity in Portugal proved difficult so she looked abroad and joined a renowned ceramicist in Denmark. “This experience and another internship in the Netherlands shaped my future”, she explains. Back in Portugal, a job in tile restoration enabled Margarida to buy her first kiln, tools and open her own studio. Her creations revolve around daily life in the kitchen; seeking beauty in simple, thin and delicate objects. Her pieces have been exhibited as far away as Tokyo, a sign of recognition and proof that perseverance can overcome all obstacles.

Interview

©Vera Marmelo

©Vera Marmelo

How did your experience abroad influence your work?: Learning with Ninna Gotzsche in Denmark and Margor Seland in Amsterdam gave me the courage to open my studio in Portugal and follow my own way of working. I chose porcelain and other techniques rather than more traditional Portuguese red earthenware clay.
What do you mean by “yoga craft”?: There is a wave saying that ceramics is relaxing like a “yoga craft” therapy. I don’t agree. If you have your own production and live from your work, you need to be persistent, punctual, creative and hard working. Each piece I make takes about 40 days to produce.
How do you bring innovation to your pieces?: My collections are traditional in terms of function. The objects are related to daily cooking and food so they need to be practical to use. I try to innovate in terms of the shape, to make pieces from the past but with new lines and designs.
Is there a key moment in your ceramic journey?: When I bought my first kiln in 2010. I always wanted to form a production line where I control the steps of each piece from the design to the materialisation. Having my own kiln was an important step to achieving my goal and making my dream come true.

Margarida Fernandes is an expert artisan: she began her career in 2010