Porfírio Mendes

Homem do Ferro

Name: Homem do Ferro
SKU: 05PT02AEC00012
Price: 63.4 EUR

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SCARCE

De olhar fixo e boca pequena, este Ferreiro parece espantado. Talvez por representar a vida quotidiana e os ofícios tradicionais portugueses, já quase em vias de extinção.

Regular price 63,40 €

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Production Time

Aproximadamente > 3 semanas

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Homem do Ferro

63,40 €

History Conservation

Homenagem aos ofícios tradicionais e aos artesãos

Tronco e braços compridos para manusear o martelo e a bigorna. Traje vermelho vivo, para atrair o olhar e celebrar a vida. O Ferreiro de cortiça esculpida e pintada de Porfírio Mendes respira elegância. Suspira atenção.

Numa peça que simula uma cena completa da vida de um trabalhador do ferro, Porfírio Mendes quer contar-nos uma história. Parar o tempo.

Talvez seja um alerta à memória coletiva. À consciência e resistência cultural dos ofícios e artesãos. Feita com a simplicidade de quem sabe o seu valor.

Manuseamento
Devido à natureza única e artesanal desta peça, manuseie-a com cuidado para evitar embates ou quedas acidentais.

Armazenamento
Se utilizada para fins decorativos, utilize um pano de algodão seco ou uma escova macia para remover o pó.

Guarde num local seguro onde esteja protegida de possíveis impactos.

Meet the Producer

A DEVIL CARVED WITH SOUL

Porfírio Mendes, a folk sculptor from Barcelos, crafts these pieces with a blend of cork, love and mischievous wit. Without formal artistic training, he discovered in cork the ideal material for his irreverent and humorous creations, which pay tribute to the region's rural culture.

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Early Life and Background

Curiosity, mischievousness and raw talent shaped Porfírio Mendes into the folk cork sculptor he is today, without ever stepping foot in a formal art school. Born in 1967 in Barcelos, Porfírio began working in construction at 14 and ended up building the house where he currently lives.

Beginnings in Art

From construction, he began sculpting miniature stone buildings with intricate mechanics that gave a whimsical touch to his neighbourhood, but it was only in 2013 that he stumbled upon cork as a raw material for the creations that would make him one of a kind.

Technique and Style

He began collecting bottle corks from restaurants and built roosters, devils, saints, witches, you name it, using nothing but a knife, sandpaper and glue. Well, and paint of course — have you looked at the extravagant colours? It’s a naive and humorous work of amusement and nostalgia, an homage to the region’s folk imagery.

Family and Recognition

Family is always by his side: his daughter Adriana curates his online presence and his wife is a lifelong partner. Porfírio’s first solo exhibition, held at Barcelos’s Tourist Office in 2024, named him “a craftsman of soul and heart”. He still works in construction.