Vista Alegre (Portugal) invited me -together with 3 other artists- to visit, observe and record (drawing and painting) in residence on site. To get a taste of the story and the porcelain world of Vista Alegre in order to give an artistic vision on this place. What immediately struck me was the scale of the heritage: a chapel, a historic factory with kilns, archives & a museum, several shops (Bordallo Pinheiro), a theater and a hotel, surrounded by streets of employees' houses.
Watching over the red, terracotta tiled roofs were pairs of storks, who came to spend the winter in Portugal and seemed to be in full 'Spring mood’, despite the sometimes fierce rainy weather. I will now forever associate the clapping sound of the storks with this place. The stork as a contemporary mascot for the porcelain manufacturer. It reminded me of the historic Vista Alegre emblem with the Emu. Emus and Storks have something in common, they are both oversized birds, they could be nephews. Like echoes, uniting different parts of the world. I used this duo as ambassadors in some of my more illustrative work for Vista Alegre. Series of landscapes also emerged, where garden (nature) and architecture collide in natural or artificial, day or night light.
The museum collection was a great source of inspiration & knowledge. The spirit of certain ages shone through the pieces, indirectly reflecting historic facts or playful, laconic criticism of prevailing politics.
This residence resulted in a series of 50 watercolor paintings and drawings for a lush & luxurious publication.
-> Caderno de viagens de Sebastiaan Van Doninck - Sebastiaan Van Doninck’s travel Journal, published in may 2024 by Vista Alegre.
