Pedrita Studio x The Cloud One Lisbon
Pedrita is a multidisciplinary design studio based in Lisbon, founded in 2005.
Inspired by traditional Portuguese forms and techniques, Pedrita Studio's projects offer a glimpse into both past and present Portuguese culture.
Each project takes a curious look at processes and material culture, leading to unexpected yet deliberate formal solutions.
For our The Cloud One Lisbon, they have chosen a medium of expression that is very typical of Portugal: tiles.
Pedrita Studio x TCO
A smile from the Lost & Found archive
IMG_0832.jpg – as simple as the title, as multi-layered as the artwork. Pedrita, the artist duo, has created a site-specific tile installation for the terrace of the TCO Lisbon, combining contemporary Portuguese ceramic art with a personal culture of remembrance. The motif comes from their Lost&Found photo archive, a collection of lost and found images created in 2018 for an exhibition at the Underdogs Gallery. Everyday episodes, spontaneous moments and staged poses – this meticulous archive encourages reflection on loss and recovery: of our individual memories, our collective references, our cultural heritage.
For TCO, the studio artists around Rita João chose a photograph of an anonymous woman – dreamy, self-assured, looking upwards and outwards. Her smile radiates a serenity that perfectly complements the atmosphere of the terrace. The composition complements the organic flow of the vertical garden on the wall, as if the artwork were entering into a dialogue with the plants.
Between tradition and innovation: the “Grão” technique
The technical execution bridges past and present: old, no-longer-available Portuguese industrial tiles meet hand-painted tiles created specifically for this work. Pedrita arranges them using her characteristic ‘Grão’ compositional technique – based on the pixel principle of photographic grain.
Each tile becomes a pixel; together they form a monumental portrait.
The sheer scale presented a unique challenge. Originally, the artists had envisaged animal or plant motifs, but the more they experimented, the clearer it became: a more communicative work would better suit the location. The mixed colours of the industrial tiles needed to be balanced by a more organic element – through the craftsmanship, the warmth, the human presence.
When pixels become tiles
Inspiration: Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian
The commission came from The Cloud One art&Design team with a specific brief: the surroundings and gardens of the Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian were to serve as a source of inspiration. For Pedrita Studio, this place is part of her childhood, a space for reflection and dreaming. Even though the Fundação does not appear directly in the work, its essence is palpable – the connection between nature, art and contemplation.
For Pedrita Studio, the greatest challenge in commissioned work is always to create a composition that not only works at the desired scale but also establishes a connection to the history of the place. It is about finding the sweet spot where the artwork enters into dialogue with its surroundings whilst still leaving room for individual interpretations. This aspect reflects the contemporary fascination with questioning established narratives – the viewer is invited to engage actively and build a personal connection with the artwork.
Experience contemporary Lisbon
The tilework brings a local artist and a contemporary Portuguese tile style to the site – a link to Lisbon’s traditional materials that offers TCO guests an authentic insight into modern Lisbon. For Pedrita Studio, the city means everything: “Our home; this is where we were born and raised.”, says Rita João of Pedrita.
In the creative process, the artists are less interested in history and facts than in goals and plans. They gather simple triggers to set the turbulent flood of possibilities in motion – despite all the technical challenges. The result: a work of art designed to inspire the happy hotel guests of the future who come here to relax and enjoy the courtyard.