This piece, made up of a brief text and a set of images from field notes, photographs, relational maps, notebooks, loose-leaf drawings, and ethnography — reflects my doctoral research process into the practice of clay figuration in Portugal.
Visual essay published in the Agora Forum, Etnográfica magazine.
Reference: Ribeiro, Sónia Mota. 2024. «Fragmentos d’O barro imaginado»,
Fórum Agora, Etnográfica.
Drawings and photographs
© Sónia Mota Ribeiro
View full article here.
Captions:
1. Ecology of practices. Pastel pencil drawing, Lisbon, 2023.
2. Drawing by Ema (18 months), with pen and clay, on an interview script. Júlia and Prazeres Côta’s studio, Galegos Santa Maria, Barcelos, 2024.
3. Photograph of Domingos Francisco’s hands in his studio, Várzea, Barcelos, 2024.
4. Photo of Domingos Francisco’s work table, Várzea, Barcelos, 2024.
5. Sketch of a kinship map of the Ramalho family, Porto, 2023.
6. Sketch of the work Sarronco, by António Ramalho (2024), Porto, 2024.
7. Colored pencil drawing of the work Animal, by Rosa Ramalho (1960), Porto, 2024.
8. Field diary entry, Estremoz, 2023.
9. Photograph of Fátima Estróia’s studio, Estremoz, 2024.
10. Research stack. Photograph of the volume of research papers: kinship and relational maps, research drawings, image clippings, questionnaires and consent forms, notebooks and diaries, drawings on loose sheets and business cards (2022-2024).
11. Preliminary structure drawing of the research project, Porto, 2023.
12. Detail of a field diary note, with an idea for the piece Animalia Paradoxa, 2024.
13. Photograph of Francisco Lima painting, in the studio of the Irmãos Mistério, Galegos Santa Maria, Barcelos, 2024.
14. Colored pencil sketch of the work Sarronco, by António Ramalho (2024), Porto, 2024.
15. Note from the seminar Anthropology of Skill and Craftwork, RAI, 2023.
16. Colored pencil drawing of the work Passarinho, by Ulisses Pereira Chaves (1979), Porto, 2024.
17. Photograph of clay, in the studio of Irmãs Flores, Estremoz, 2024.
18. Photograph of Júlia Côta’s dolls drying in the sun, at the entrance of her studio, Manhente, Barcelos, 2024.
19. Photograph of Júlia Côta’s hands in her studio, Manhente, Barcelos, 2024.
20. Photograph of fragments of clay figurines, in the studio of the Flores Sisters, Estremoz, 2024.
1. Ecology of practices. Pastel pencil drawing, Lisbon, 2023.
2. Drawing by Ema (18 months), with pen and clay, on an interview script. Júlia and Prazeres Côta’s studio, Galegos Santa Maria, Barcelos, 2024.
3. Photograph of Domingos Francisco’s hands in his studio, Várzea, Barcelos, 2024.
4. Photo of Domingos Francisco’s work table, Várzea, Barcelos, 2024.
5. Sketch of a kinship map of the Ramalho family, Porto, 2023.
6. Sketch of the work Sarronco, by António Ramalho (2024), Porto, 2024.
7. Colored pencil drawing of the work Animal, by Rosa Ramalho (1960), Porto, 2024.
8. Field diary entry, Estremoz, 2023.
9. Photograph of Fátima Estróia’s studio, Estremoz, 2024.
10. Research stack. Photograph of the volume of research papers: kinship and relational maps, research drawings, image clippings, questionnaires and consent forms, notebooks and diaries, drawings on loose sheets and business cards (2022-2024).
11. Preliminary structure drawing of the research project, Porto, 2023.
12. Detail of a field diary note, with an idea for the piece Animalia Paradoxa, 2024.
13. Photograph of Francisco Lima painting, in the studio of the Irmãos Mistério, Galegos Santa Maria, Barcelos, 2024.
14. Colored pencil sketch of the work Sarronco, by António Ramalho (2024), Porto, 2024.
15. Note from the seminar Anthropology of Skill and Craftwork, RAI, 2023.
16. Colored pencil drawing of the work Passarinho, by Ulisses Pereira Chaves (1979), Porto, 2024.
17. Photograph of clay, in the studio of Irmãs Flores, Estremoz, 2024.
18. Photograph of Júlia Côta’s dolls drying in the sun, at the entrance of her studio, Manhente, Barcelos, 2024.
19. Photograph of Júlia Côta’s hands in her studio, Manhente, Barcelos, 2024.
20. Photograph of fragments of clay figurines, in the studio of the Flores Sisters, Estremoz, 2024.