Tiago Pereira Borges
A slow future
- Tiago’s passion for his craft comes from his family
- His handcrafted wooden objects are made to last
- Ancestral techniques underpin his creative versatility
Tiago Borges may be young but his voice reveals maturity when speaking about inheriting his grandfather’s workshop. “He was a joinery master. l learnt hands-on with him as a child, then more formally when I turned 16”. A wood carving course at Fundação Ricardo do Esprito Santo Silva and a bench joinery course at Leicester college in the United Kingom, deepened his knowledge of handmade joinery, wood inlays, carving, polishing techniques, hand planning and auto cad drawing. Such diverse skills allow him the scope to work on traditional cabinets, restoring 17th-century furniture or developing contemporary pieces from scratch. As Tiago nurtures his daily creative relationship with wood, he feels confident about perpetuating his family’s history in the art of wood making.
Interview
- What do you love about making wooden objects?
- If you craft something, no matter where it may go, even with the passing of time, you will somehow own it forever because you poured so much devotion and care into making it, that a part of you is embedded in the piece forever.
- Is wood craft deeply connected to Portugal?
- I feel it is universal. Certainly the Portuguese created amazing pieces from the woods collected during the discoveries period. Many people in Portugal inherit fine furniture from ancestors. I am influenced by these but also by other international techniques and tools.
- How does restoration help you create new pieces?
- It helps a lot, especially when I restore important museum pieces. I have to put myself in the shoes of the master who created the object and I need to respect the technique used. The knowledge gained can be used and reinterpreted in modern pieces.
- What do you tell your generation about wood craftsmanship?
- I believe in a slow future. I tell them that mass production may create accessible furniture but the quality and soul of the piece just isn’t there. It is best to save and invest in something good that will last than to pay 30 times to replace an inferior product.
Tiago Pereira Borges is an expert artisan: he began his career in 2006 and he started teaching in 2019
Where
Tiago Pereira Borges
