Azulejo Dinner Plate
$58.00
Ceramics & Glazing
Maria Ferreira
Loulé, Portugal
Working since
1987
With Terra & Sol
Sep 2024
Maria has been at the wheel since 1987, working out of a small atelier in Loulé that her father built. Her cobalt-blue floral motifs are a direct inheritance from her grandmother's azulejo tile work, adapted to the curve of a serving bowl. Every piece is wheel-thrown, bisque-fired, hand-painted with a single brush, and glaze-fired in a small electric kiln tucked beside the workbench. She fires twice a week, paints in the mornings, and never makes the same bowl twice.
The Studio
Atelier Ferreira
A whitewashed-stone workshop tucked into a Loulé side street, established by Maria's father and tended by her since 1989.
Est. 1989
Rua das Oliveiras 14, 8100-251 Loulé
Studio hours
Visit the atelier.
- Mon09:00 – 17:00
- Tue09:00 – 17:00
- Wed09:00 – 17:00
- Thu09:00 – 17:00
- FriToday09:00 – 17:00
- Sat10:00 – 13:00
- SunClosed
The Process
How the work is made.
In their words
Q & A.
What is the first thing you do each morning in the studio?
I open the window facing the courtyard, put a kettle on, and check whatever bowls were drying overnight. Most of the day's plan comes from looking at them.
Where do the cobalt motifs come from?
My grandmother painted azulejo tiles for our family's house in Évora. I have a notebook of her sketches that I still draw from — though the bowls demand a different rhythm than a flat tile.
How long does one bowl take, from wedging to packing?
About two weeks if everything cooperates. A day to throw, four to dry, the bisque firing, a morning to paint, the glaze firing, and a day of inspection. The kiln decides the rest.
What would you tell a younger version of yourself?
Don't be afraid of the brush mark that wasn't planned. The piece I almost threw away last winter is the one collectors keep asking about.
Gallery
From the atelier.
Pieces by Maria
