Vítor Agostinho

Mutant Molds

Ceramicist | Caldas da Rainha, Portugal

Creative questions by a curious mind

Vítor is a designer-maker who works with ceramics and glass
He likes to reinterpret traditional processes and experiment
He explores creative factors such as luck, imperfection and error

Vítor Agostinho is a designer who specialises in slip cast ceramic ware and blown glass. As a result of his investigation into mass production, he has created a project called Mutant Molds: a small series in which he uses the surrounding conditions as a catalyst for creative potential. “I am a designer with relevant experience in the industry,” he says. “The knowledge of mass production, together with self-production, allows me the unique opportunity to develop new forming methods, creating new processes that allow formal variations from the same mould.” Vítor’s studio is located in Caldas da Rainha, which has a great culture and tradition of ceramics.

Interview

©Pedro Cá

©Vítor Agostinho

What is your educational background?: I have a master's degree in product design. I direct my work towards self-production and the creation of small series. I also collaborate with master ceramicists and master glassmakers in the development of my products.
How did you develop the Mutant Molds project?: By mounting, stacking up and overlapping plaster blocks in a controlled or random way. The combinations are also developed with already used or discontinued moulds, which allow me to complete, augment or recreate these same moulds.
How do you express tradition and innovation in your work?: Based on classical conformation processes, I intend to innovate using different strategies, developing processes that allow me to create objects of different forms from a single mould.
What techniques do you employ in your workshop?: Slip casting for ceramics and blown glass. My aim is to experiment and search for new solutions for producing objects, developing projects to order, and participating in exhibitions.

Vítor Agostinho is an expert artisan: he began his career in 2012