Meet The Artist: Gustavo Portela

On my last visit to Rio I had a chance to meet artist Gustavo Portela in person. 

He invited me to visit his studio and have lunch at his apartment in the Leme neighborhood adjacent to Copacabana. Over his beautiful table, a friendship was formed.

“In 1982 my mother started painting porcelain. She taught me the technique from “penetado” and I decided to paint some plates using drawings of fish in pen and ink that I had made a few years before, inspired by the work of artist Aldemir Martins. It turned out so cool that I completed 12 drawings to make a set of plates, and it ended up becoming my regular gift to friends and family. Since 2014 I have expanded this hobby into developing an ongoing collection of dinnerware inspired by the underwater world.”

When I use Gustavo‘s plates, I think about him wandering Copacabana as a child to the random aquariums on his way to school. I think about the “maresia,” the Portuguese word for the sticky sea breeze that envelops an ocean front room, how it pours in his window while he paints. I think about his meticulous process, from researching each fish he draws to the details of his art. And I think about how much his work makes him happy.  And finally, I think about how important it is to support creativity, and allow artistry to proliferate, so that we may be moved by things as simple as our every day dinnerware.  

Gustavo’s process and love for his art perfectly embodies my mission when I curate our shop. We hope to inspire people to set a better table and create a dining environment they love to linger in, with pieces that tell stories at each meal. The Carioca Kitchen isn’t just about the actual food, it’s also about *how* we eat, and making the whole experience a little more Brazilian.