Vago

Luca D’Ortenzi is an Italian wood turner and sculptor who founded Projecto Vago after the 2022 fires in Serra da Estrela, where he lives and works. Instead of fleeing the devastation, he walked towards it, collecting burnt wood from the scorched forests and felled centuries-old trees.

Projecto Vago was born from this instinct: to transform what was lost into something lasting. Luca works intuitively, sculpting objects that hold the visible memory of the fire - cracked textures, darkened contours, exposed grain. 

The process involves abrasive carving, waxing, and artisanal charring techniques that he developed over time with patient experimentation.

Each piece begins with a raw fragment of burnt wood and ends as a meditation on survival and transformation. The marks of the fire are left visible - sometimes even accentuated. "I don't try to erase what happened," he says. "I highlight it."