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Ceramics

José Siphioni’s work moves between everyday pieces and small sculptures. Much of it is fired in the old, open ways he also teaches: raku and the paper kiln. The fire and smoke leave marks on every piece, so no two are the same.

Figures

Small clay figures of people from Portugal’s history: writers, musicians and kings – among them Fernando Pessoa, Luís de Camões and Amália Rodrigues. José Saramago is one of his favourite subjects. Some figures combine clay and wool, a link to Mira de Aire and Minde, where wool and blankets were made for generations.

Sgraffito

Pieces decorated by scratching through one layer of clay to reveal another underneath, an old technique José has used from the start.

Tableware

Tea sets and other pieces for daily use.

Raku and paper kiln

Pieces marked by flames and smoke. In raku, the smoke colours the parts of the clay that are not glazed; in the paper kiln, the direct contact with the fire leaves patterns that cannot be repeated.

For restaurants and hotels

José makes pieces to order for restaurants and hotels – from tableware to lamps, washbasins and soap dishes. For the hotel The Nest by Cooking and Nature in Alvados, he made lamps, washbasins, soap dishes and ashtrays. His work is also sold in shops across Portugal.

To talk about a commission, write to us or send a message on WhatsApp.

Raku

  • Raku firing at night: small clay cups and bowls among flames and pine cones in a metal barrel, seen from above
    Raku pieces in the flames · Raku firing
  • Round raku bowl seen from above, turquoise crackle glaze with red and gold patches and a dark smoked base
    Bowl · Raku, crackle glaze
  • Irregular raku bowl with a turquoise glaze full of fine dark cracks
    Bowl · Raku, crackle glaze
  • White crackled raku bowl resting on a thin copper-coloured metal stand
    Bowl on a stand · Raku, white crackle glaze
  • Three round raku jars on small feet, with lids and a shimmering copper and blue glaze
    Lidded jars · Raku, metallic glaze
  • Cups, bowls and a plate on a stone table, some turquoise, some white with black smoke marks
    Raku pieces after firing · Raku
  • Small raku kiln opened in the garden, the pieces inside glowing orange
    Opening the raku kiln · Raku firing

Paper kiln

  • A tall paper kiln burning in the dark, a flame rising from the top while a potter watches the fire
    Paper kiln at night · Paper kiln firing
  • A man covering a tall, cone-shaped paper kiln with wet clay outdoors
    Building a paper kiln · Paper kiln
  • A potter kneeling to light a paper kiln on a hillside at dusk, the lights of the valley behind him
    Lighting the paper kiln · Paper kiln firing · © Público

Figures

  • A flock of small sheep figures with clay heads and bodies of white wool
    Sheep · Clay and wool
  • Rows of tall, rough clay figures with wings and long hair
    Figures · Unglazed clay
  • Small seated clay figure of a man in a yellow shirt inside a wooden box, with a large yellow flower in relief behind him
    Figure in a niche · Modelled and painted clay

Sgraffito

  • Group of terracotta vases decorated with white scratched patterns of lines and triangles
    Vases · Sgraffito
  • Tall, angular vessels with bold black and white scratched drawings
    Tall vessels · Sgraffito
  • Clay panel in a wooden frame, half scratched with a black and white drawing of figures
    Panel in progress · Sgraffito

Tableware

  • Yellow bowl with a stew on a green leaf-shaped plate, served with herbs
    Bowl and leaf plate · Glazed ceramics
  • Two wide bowls with a turquoise and black glaze, each standing on a short log, dried flowers behind
    Bowls on wooden stands · Glazed ceramics
  • Two tall white vessels and a low round dish with visible coils of clay, on a work table, not yet fired
    Vessels before firing · Hand-built clay, unfired

Made to order for hotels and restaurants

  • Square handmade washbasin with a deep turquoise glaze and a black tap, on a wooden counter
    Washbasin · Glazed ceramics, made to order
  • Dark cylindrical ceramic lamp pierced with small holes, the light shining through
    Wall lamp · Ceramics, made to order
  • White ceramic pendant lamp with a red band, hanging from a wooden ceiling
    Pendant lamp · Ceramics, made to order
  • Rows of pale, irregular soap dishes, each with a small twig and a round bar of soap
    Soap dishes · Ceramics, made to order

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New pieces and photos from the studio and the workshops.