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Vago

Created by Luca D'Ortenzi, who collects burnt wood from the 2022 wildfires in Serra da Estrela, transforming devastation into lasting objects. His intuitive approach highlights the fire's marks, celebrating nature's resilience.

See the pieces (14)

ART REBORN FROM THE ASHES

The story14piecesSee the pieces

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.

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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."

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The journey

Vago

Background and Motivation

Luca D’Ortenzi is an Italian woodturner and sculptor who founded Project Vago in the wake of the 2022 wildfires in Serra da Estrela, where he lives and works. Instead of walking away from the devastation, he walked right into it, collecting burnt wood from scorched forests and fallen centenarian trees.

Purpose of Project Vago

Project Vago was born from that instinct: to turn what was lost into something lasting.

Technique and Process

He works intuitively, carving objects that carry the visible memory of fire: cracked textures, blackened contours, exposed grain. His process involves abrasive carving, waxing and his own artisanal charring techniques, developed over time through patient experimentation.

Philosophy and Artistic Vision

Each piece begins with a raw fragment of burnt wood and ends as a meditation on survival and transformation. The burn marks are left visible, sometimes even deepened. “I don’t try to erase what happened,” he says. “I highlight it.”

The technique

ABOUT THE BURNT WOOD

Collected after the fires, it exists in a liminal state between natural decomposition and artistic restoration. The pieces come from centuries-old trees, rescued by fire and by Luca’s hands.

Handmade by Vago

The pieces

The Vago Project is more than just a collection of objects; it is a testament to the human capacity to find beauty in adversity. Each piece created by Luca D'Ortenzi tells a story of loss and rebirth, where fire, normally a symbol of destruction, becomes an integral part of the aesthetics and meaning. By highlighting the marks of fire rather than hiding them, Luca challenges the notion of perfection, embracing imperfection as a form of authenticity. This approach reflects a broader philosophy about life: that scars can be transformed into symbols of strength and that the past, however painful, deserves to be remembered and honoured.

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