The Gravetos Collection

Inspired by the Eucalyptus – the Portuguese fire starter

Experimenting with unusual materials like concrete is my favourite thing to do. Working with natural forms and marrying it with metal to bring life. 

Bringing stories and sentiment, history and social comment into play is what drives me to make work. 

What’s in a name?

Gravetos is Portuguese for kindling, the dried wood you use for starting fires. The pods used to make these casts were collected over 20 years ago in the mountains near Coimbra in mid-Portugal. The smell of Eucalyptus is said to ward off mosquitos and cure a multitude of respiratory ailments. The seed pods are such dense, gnarley things, almost as hard as concrete. I’ve always been fond of them. I used to light my wood burner with them along with the thin tinder-dry branches on a chilly night in the mountains. Sadly the Eucalyptus has a sinister side, the tree rich in oil with dry paper-thin peeling bark creates the perfect environment for fire. Wildfires have ravaged the native forests of Portugal and made way for a huge logging industry. The native flora and fauna have declined rapidly which is why it is easy to hate these beautiful trees.

Portugal is very close to my heart, I have great memories of the times I have spent there. I hope you enjoy this small but growing collection.