Solstice Masks, Design Residency

2014 . I travelled to South Portugal to work with the craft techniques of palm leaf, an endemic plant from the Algarve region. The project was inspired by the natural phenomenon of Solstice and the associated paganism cults and rituals. I was always fascinated by masks that can represent other spirits and are used in celebrations of different cultures. During the residency, I worked together with the palm leaf craftsmen, Master Custodio Cavaco where I got in touch with all the processes: where to catch the palm leafs in the region, how to prepare the material before its use, techniques of folding and how to sew the pieces.

Photography Catarina Pacheco