Viúva de Lamego is not a "local" artist per se but they're a leading artisanal workshop in classic and contemporary Portuguese tiles. If you have the budget, their tailor-made tiles are something else, imagination is the limit. (source: my dad does a lot of house restorations in Portugal and some require custom tiles to fill in missing/damaged areas)
Can second this. Happy customer here. Amazing experience visiting their factory. Seems like a real institution. There were in fact a bunch of artist at the factory working with them there when we visited.
I would love to help, but it's not my domain. I, unfortunately, witness the side-effects of people stealing them on my day to day. There are many shops in Lisbon that sell them, and there's even a beautiful museum here that it's definitely worth visiting (or signing up for a workshop!): https://museunacionaldoazulejo.gov.pt - it's currently closed for renovation; it should reopen later this year, but that's yet to be confirmed.
When buying - on the streets or in a shop - if it looks old, unless provenance is absolutely clear, please don't.
You will find great artista in Spain and Portugal. I can recommend you Talavera de la Reina in Toledo, Spain. It has a centuries old tradition of producing quality ceramics.
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Doing a little activism here: please don't buy old ones while visiting Portugal/Spain/etc., as they are commonly stolen goods. Thanks, from Lisbon.
I just googled it and apparently these are often chipped of historical buildings and sold as tourist souvenirs. Thanks for informing us
Indeed, it's sad. They are staple here in Portugal, covering entire buildings. Beautiful examples: https://maps.app.goo.gl/3BK1BoMVsgRY38eG8 and https://maps.app.goo.gl/fquP923g13xtbSxU8
I'll take advantage of your domain knowledge :) Where's the best place to find local artists that produce them?
Viúva de Lamego is not a "local" artist per se but they're a leading artisanal workshop in classic and contemporary Portuguese tiles. If you have the budget, their tailor-made tiles are something else, imagination is the limit. (source: my dad does a lot of house restorations in Portugal and some require custom tiles to fill in missing/damaged areas)
Can second this. Happy customer here. Amazing experience visiting their factory. Seems like a real institution. There were in fact a bunch of artist at the factory working with them there when we visited.
In Spain, if you drive 1 h 20 minutes southwest of Madrid you get to Talavera de la Reina, which is a town all about ceramic and pottery:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talavera_de_la_Reina
I would love to help, but it's not my domain. I, unfortunately, witness the side-effects of people stealing them on my day to day. There are many shops in Lisbon that sell them, and there's even a beautiful museum here that it's definitely worth visiting (or signing up for a workshop!): https://museunacionaldoazulejo.gov.pt - it's currently closed for renovation; it should reopen later this year, but that's yet to be confirmed.
When buying - on the streets or in a shop - if it looks old, unless provenance is absolutely clear, please don't.
You will find great artista in Spain and Portugal. I can recommend you Talavera de la Reina in Toledo, Spain. It has a centuries old tradition of producing quality ceramics.
Meanwhile there are many masters that make these tiles today - I know one personally! - and they all struggle to find clients.