Júlia Cotà was born in Lagoa (Manhente), in the municipality of Barcelos, in 1935. Today, she is one of the greatest living representatives of the "Barcelos Figurado", a craft and artistic movement expressing Portuguese popular culture.
Júlia da Rocha Fernandes de Sousa, commonly known as Júlia Côta, was born into one of the region's most respected craft families. She is the granddaughter of João Domingos Côta da Rocha, recognized as the father of the Barcelos rooster.
Júlia Côta dans l'argile - Crédit inconnu
Júlia Côta began working with clay at the age of 9 in her parents' workshop. She began by helping to shape certain pieces, such as shoes or hats, for 15 cents an hour, before being able to make her own pieces. Her artistic sense was such that she was quickly recognized and her parents decided to entrust her with the workshop.
At 87 today, Júlia Côta has been working with clay for almost 80 years. But Julia doesn't feel tired; she wants to continue working until her hands no longer allow it.
Júlia Côta's simple credo is to shape the life around her in clay, while letting her imagination run wild. The result is a highly distinctive figurative style, giving birth to a fantastic, joyful and colorful world.
Her "dolls", as Júlia Côta calls them, invariably evoke scenes from rural life, embellished with mythological figures rooted in the popular imagination. They are recognizable by their ambiguous features, blending male and female traits, the silhouettes of men and animals.
Sometimes religious, sometimes burlesque, sometimes both, his statuettes are always imbued with respect for history, traditions and local characters.
Like so many men and women of her generation, Julia Côta never learned to read or write. It was a Portuguese collector who taught her to scribble the initials of his name to authenticate the pieces in his own collection. Since then, no piece has left her workshop without the J and C inscribed on the base.
So, folk craft or naive art? The question isn't clear-cut, but art blogs and magazines are starting to write about Júlia Côta, and some of her exhibitions take place outside the realm of handicrafts.
At nearly 90 today, Júlia is a recognized artist, welcomed with honors whenever she travels and visited, like an icon, by artists from all over the world who come to her little house in Barcelos on a street that now bears her name.
His works are now part of private collections, sold worldwide and sometimes assembled for temporary exhibitions or retrospectives.
But Júlia has kept her simplicity, is still amazed by the honors bestowed upon her, and continues to shape clay in her small house, passing on her skills to her daughter Prazeres.
Meeting Jùlia Côta is not so easy, not that she is now inaccessible, but at 85, she continues to exhibit her work throughout Portugal and is rarely available.
On the day we met, I first went to Barcelos, a favorite haunt of Portuguese craftsmen, then from Barcelos to his village (kept secret), and then I looked for the street that bears his name (!).
There, her youngest daughter was waiting to tell me that Jùlia was in Pombal, 200 km away, at the invitation of the International Crafts Fair. Jùlia, on the phone, offered to meet me there. A few hours later, in the late evening, I found myself in Pombal, at the reception desk of Jùlia's hotel, entirely decorated with her works, in her honor.
Jùlia knew that I was a fan of her work, that I'd been pursuing her for some time and that I'd already featured some of her work on our site. Jùlia is a character who immediately provokes a flow of emotions in those who meet her.
She introduces herself to you quite simply, even shyly, full of her personal history and also of what she represents today: a traditional Portugal that is gradually disappearing. I must confess that we fell into each other's arms and exchanged a few tears.
She was accompanied by her daughter, Prazeres, also an artist, and the curator of the exhibition. Jùlia had asked us to preview the exhibition. She then allowed us to select all the pieces we wanted from among those planned for the exhibition. I must confess that I didn't hold back, and that the curator of the exhibition was blanching at the rhythm of my choices, understanding that the star part of his show would be reduced to a bare minimum.
Late in the evening, I drove Jùlia back to her hotel, the car full of her carefully packed works. I still had 3 hours to drive to Lisbon to put all her statuettes in a safe place.
Jùlia Côta is more than just an artist. Her country, her region, her village, her family, her personal history crystallize in her works to provoke a flow of emotions in you. Jùlia Côta is a great artist!
Discover Jùlia Côta's collection of statuettes in the online boutique.
Boneca Barriguda. Jùlia Côta - Collection Luisa Paixão
SPECIAL OFFER (First order)
10%
Use code OBRIGADO at checkout
Peri-Peri is a small chili pepper known for its complex, fruity flavors. Where does it originate? What are the best Peri-Peri recipes? How can you make your own Peri-Peri sauce? Where can you find the best Peri-Peri sauces?
If you are not sure of the ideal time to plan a visit to the city of Lisbon, the answer is, without a doubt, the month of June and more specifically the 12th and 13th of June. These are the dates of the Lisbon Festivals!
Material, size, weave... How to choose the right plaid for your well-being and home decoration?
