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©Liliana_Fontoura
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©Álvaro_Martino
©Liliana_Fontoura
©Álvaro_Martino

Marta Afonso

  • KARAKA
  • Textile printer
  • Vila Nova De Gaia, Portugal
  • Rising Star
Marta Afonso Textile printer
Contact
Portuguese, English, Spanish
Hours:
By appointment only
Phone:
+351 916867661
©Liliana_Fontoura

Boundless imagination

  • • Marta’s passion for textiles comes from her grandmother
  • • She uses her academic and practical knowledge to explore further
  • • Her hand-printed pieces tell unique stories

Marta Afonso’s special connection to textiles comes from her grandmother who taught her how to sew. While studying textile design to a post-graduate level she took practical courses in pattern making and garment sewing. It was natural to open her workshop in 2015 to creatively use her knowledge to find her own expression. A trip to India influenced her direction. “I learned the rare block printing technique from a few local artisans and use it in my work with other manual methods such as stencil printing or painting directly onto fabric.” Marta’s hands are creating from the initial drawing all the way to the manual pressure applied to the textile. Sensitive to transmission, she runs workshops to show how fabric can be a canvas for boundless imagination.

Read the full interview

Works

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  • ©Álvaro_Martino
  • ©All rights reserved
Photo: ©All rights reserved
LILY in onion cushion

This square-shaped cushion in a pastel orange linen blend fabric is the result of natural dyeing with onion skins. The fabric was block printed with original hand- carved stamps inspired by the lily flower, a symbol of purity and love.

Photo: ©All rights reserved
BLOOM in green lumbar cushion

This is a rectangular-shaped cushion made with a dry green linen blend fabric. The original botanical illustrations were printed on the fabric using hand-cut stencils. As pieces are made manually even if the motif is the same, each cushion will have its own personality.

Photo: ©All rights reserved
BLOOM on green napkin

This square-shaped table napkin in dry green linen blend fabric was printed with original hand-cut stencil of a botanical illustration. The manual technique enhances the beauty of each napkin as set around the table they may seem alike but are not identical.

Photo: ©Álvaro_Martino
TERRA table runner and napkin

This set of unique terracotta table runner and white napkin are block printed by hand with original wooden stamps inspired by the ancient Bogolanfini technique, also known as mud-cloth. The patterns have secret and spiritual meanings.

Photo: ©All rights reserved
Block printed fabric

This fabric is handprinted using the ancestral block printing technique with hand-carved stamps. The patterns were originally drawn and can be printed in different colours upon order.

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