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Portuguese Passageway
Portuguese Passageway
Audio Guide Transcript
Welcome. You are about to embark on a journey through traditions, folk art, and landscapes inspired by mainland Portugal and the Azores. In front of you are two murals, each featuring a Rooster of Barcelos. The roosters mirror one another, but are surrounded by opposing colours, symbols, and motifs. The rooster to your left is painted in rich blues and whites, inspired by the iconic traditional ceramic tiles found across Portugal. This white rooster is adorned with blue flowers, hearts, and stars, with a bold navy crown atop its head. It is surrounded by lush greenery in contrasting hues, inspired by the meandering hills of the Azores. Above is a rich blue sky spotted with fluffy white clouds. Below, at the rooster’s feet, rolling black earth is decorated with traditional folk-art symbols, including red and blue flowers, green leaves, and red hearts. The rooster to your right is painted in the same earthy, dark tone, with a bright red crown and embellished with colourful flowers and symbols that echo those in the opposite mural. This black rooster is surrounded by the vast blue Atlantic, frothy white waves, leaping fish, and graceful patterns inspired by traditional Portuguese pottery. On the surface of these murals, Portuguese traditions and history come to life through 10 hand-built ceramic tiles. As you explore the tiles, you may find a classic Portuguese custard pastry, a boat on calm waters, a tuna fish swimming in the ocean, a woman wearing a traditional Azorean hooded cloak, a bloom of hydrangeas, a wandering hen, and folk-art symbols brought into three-dimensional form. This installation invites you to imagine the smell of the salty sea, the taste of flaky pastries, the sound of lively cobblestoned cities, and the feeling that you are always welcome here.
Description
This Passageway features two mirrored murals, each depicting a Rooster of Barcelos in alternating colourways. The installation showcases the variety of landscapes, decorative folk art, and cultural traditions found in mainland Portugal and the Azores. Attached to each mural are hand-built ceramic tiles with three-dimensional elements, referencing classic Portuguese ceramics and offering a tactile illustration of Portuguese culture and visual history.
About the Artist
Julia Louise Pereira
Julia Louise Pereira is a Toronto-based illustrator and multidisciplinary artist who focuses on telling compelling stories about our relationship to the natural world and each other. Her art explores the magic found in our everyday lives and captures the feeling of childlike wonder and curiosity. Often threading themes of environmental and social justice into her subject matter, she strives to leave behind a kinder world than where she left it.
