João Bruno Videira

Textile sculptor

©Carmo Oliveira

©Gonçalo Figueiredo

The touch of wool

João went from TV journalist to creating handmade objects
Each piece is a game of twisting, turning and pulling the wool
He sees his raw material as a means of communicating

It happened unexpectedly in the summer of 2006 and TV journalist João Bruno’s life changed forever. He thanks a friend who gave him a chair to repair. “I removed the broken straw and used my mom’s wool to weave a new seat.” João has been weaving vibrant wool objects ever since. Each piece is made to order, a perpetual game of tension, patience and passion as kilometres of wool threads pass over and over again through his hands. “I learnt alone inventing my own techniques.” Recognising João’s talent, designer Marco Sousa Santos exhibited his work at the London Design Fair in 2017. The Tomar City Hall also invited him to open his workshop in a restored historical grinding factory, a perfect setting for his daily magical touches of wool.

Interview

©Carmo Oliveira

©Carmo Oliveira

How would you describe your wool furniture?: It is a fusion of craftsmanship and design. My objects are 100% handmade with gestures I learnt along the way using pure wool to bring to life contemporary designs. I also limit waste, for instance my scrap wool is used to shape the wool stones I weave.
What is unknown about your working technique?: Instead of using a loom, I transform each piece into a loom and I weave it directly into the frame. People don’t realise the quantities of wool threads used in each piece, the number of times the threads cross my fingers and how physical the work can be.
Do you use a special type of wool?: Yes, local 3-yarn twisted wool used to make traditional Portuguese Arraiolos carpets that have been part of the town’s local story for centuries and centuries. I remember my mother making these carpets and I loved observing the colours of the wool.
How do you prepare a new project?: I visit or see photos of the space where the piece will be placed to understand the environment and the client’s taste. I don’t use computer rendering. After sketches to validate the shape, I pick up my wool stacks for colour combinations and start working.

João Bruno Videira is an expert artisan: he began his career in 2006