Porches Pottery

The popularity of tiles in Portugal dates back to the 15th century, while the history of decorative tiles dates back to Moorish times, a period that left its mark on the Algarve. In Lagoa, a town near Porches, craftsmen worked in the tradition of hand thrown red clay pots until the early 60s, until there were only two potters left in the region. And then, a few years later, two artists, Patrick Swift and Lima de Freitas, dared to take a risk in this area, uniting in a dream to save and continue the beautiful handmade clay ware. Olaria Algarve was founded in 1968.

The Olaria Algarve project started shortly after Irish artist Patrick Swift, the father of Juliet Swift, with whom we have been talking, visited the Algarve in 1962. After travelling through France and Italy and having been in London, where he worked for literary journals, Patrick wanted to see other worlds, and at the time, he thought of Spain. But an uncle of his, already familiar with Portugal, and more precisely with the south of the country, convinced him to visit the Algarve. According to Juliet this uncle told his father: «If you are interested in a beautiful light, in a country that is truly a paradise, do not go to Spain, but try to go to the Algarve». And Patrick, revealing his spirit for adventure, went to the Algarve. And there he stayed. He settled in Carvoeiro. After six months he returned to London, but only to sell the flat he had been living in. On his return to the Algarve he met Lima de Freitas – their conversation steered towards potteries in Lagoa. They set to work and begin producing pieces out of red clay – which is a tradition also seen in Spain and in Italy. This is a red clay with a white glaze (this glaze is a mixture of brass and silica) and with majolica (tin glazed pottery). It is painted over the ‘raw’ glaze, which is like painting on top of a powder, with high-fire paints, which are all based on metals.
Initially, it was at the small Olaria Pequena, in Lagoa, that they started this project, with a traditional style wood-fired oven and only later on did they get an electric oven. In 1972, they moved to Porches, where, to this day, the facilities are located, the spaces of which were all designed and decorated by Patrick.

At the time, Patrick began by teaching the girls of the village of Porches, and everything was done by hand. And, even now, they continue to work on the pieces in the same way. The tradition has been kept alive. Juliet’s elder sister, Kate Swift, was the first to work on this art. She started to paint with her father. Juliet went to live in Dublin, for 20 years, and her younger sister, Estella Swift, was a child when she arrived in the Algarve. Kate fell ill. Juliet had to leave Dublin and return to Portugal, as the family needed her help. And here she has remained, to this day. Estella went to study in London, then in Lisbon. And soon fell for the charms of the Algarve. Juliet spends her time painting and making pieces. Expanding their ideas, they make sure their working life doesn’t slip into routine. At Porches Pottery they transform the creative thoughts (of Juliet and Estella) and the wishes of others (what the client asks for) into reality. And Juliet, with her dedication to this art, has already given cause to her son – a filmmaker in Ireland - to join this team.

At Porches Pottery decorative pieces are produced, and more besides. The variety is endless. Jugs, bowls, vases, dinner services... The sisters, Estella and Juliet, design the pieces. Formerly, the clay pieces were also produced at the Porches Pottery. Now the traditional pieces, which they both design, are produced elsewhere, and in the pottery they are only given their colour, through the designs they paint on them. The tradition is kept alive: «We always try, even when there is innovation, to keep the pieces in the same style», Juliet stress. To paint a piece can take anywhere between a few minutes to many hours. It all depends on the type of product they are working on. 90% of production is sold in the pottery’s store, in Porches itself, and the rest is sold through the online store.

Freehand painting. Pieces inspired by the people who passed through the Algarve, such as the Moors, who inspired hunting dog and hare motifs; the tree of life is of Iberian inspiration; the Romans and early Christians are the motivation behind  fish designs; while the flora found in the Algarve always inspires the more floral patterns...
Oonagh Swift, Patrick’s widow, ran the business for more than 20 years with the support of her daughters. Today, it is Juliet and Estella at the helm. Designing and painting red clay pieces.