Xavier Pottery

Crafting the Future of Algarve Chimneys

O bom filho à casa volta,” was Domingos Gonçalves, artistically known as Xavier, answer when I asked him what it felt like to return to pottery after a 20-year hiatus. “É como andar de bicicleta,” he added with a smile. But when did Xavier first learn to ride this metaphorical “bicycle”? That’s what brought me to his old pottery shop in downtown Loulé – to uncover his story and see how his son, António, is now learning to work the potter’s wheel and to “pedal” alongside him.

Back in the day

I found Xavier hard at work in his workshop. With clay already set in motion, he was too busy to stop. I therefore conducted the interview as his well-practised hands turned a humble block of clay into the latest bespoke chimney.

Xavier was born in the north of Portugal and moved to the Algarve at 16 years old. But his fate as a potter wasn’t forged in the kiln just yet. He told me how he actually began work as a carpenter in Albufeira. It was only when he met his first wife that he began working in his father-in-law’s pottery shop. Clay, Xavier told me, has been worked in this building for more than 100 years. Indeed, his father-in-law’s father had passed it on to him.

Walking around the space, trying not to knock anything over, the workshop felt a bit like a time capsule. Although they now use an electric kiln, the back room still holds the remnants of the old days, when clay was fired using traditional methods. But Xavier told me things have changed a lot. The surroundings were a lot different. The workshop, although still on this charming cobbled street, was surrounded by farms and trees – and the road was full of other olarias (pottery workshops).

It was big business back then. Before the invention of plastic, pottery wasn’t just a charming art form, it was a necessity of life. People came to buy water jugs that they would fill up at the local poço (well), as well as containers for olive oil, preserved olives and vases, but the biggest seller by far was the alcatruz (octopus trap).

When the fishermen of the Algarve switched to cheaper plastic traps and plastic and glass containers began to be used in homes, there was a drastic decline in pottery in the region.

Over time, the olaria fell into disrepair, and Domingos transitioned to running a bar. Yet, his connection to pottery never truly faded. Occasionally, he taught workshops to curious tourists, keeping his hands in the craft.

Then, ten years ago the tides turned. Loulé Criativo, in its initiative to preserve traditional crafts and bring them into the future, restored the old pottery shop. Xavier was asked to return and fire things up again. 

Chim chiminey, chim chim cheroo

But things had changed since back then and Xavier has dedicated himself almost exclusively to keeping the Algarve’s iconic chimneys alive. 

If you look around the Algarve, you may still see the remnants of these beautiful old chimneys from a time when they were all handcrafted and something of a status symbol. Xavier takes inspiration from these and visitors to the shop can collaborate with him, describing their vision for a custom chimney. Xavier will then craft it to their taste and specifications – making each one a true original.

These days, though, chimneys aren’t often used for their original purpose but as decoration in the garden, often making a nice home for a light bulb. 

Looking around the workshop, I saw Xavier will occasionally spin a pot, mug, bowl, plate, vase or coaster. I also saw photographs proudly displayed on the wall of the chimney trophies that Xavier created for cycling, rugby, football and other big sporting competitions over the years.

Music to mud

I also met his son António. Arriving at the workshop, he was keen to check the kiln and see how their freshly fired pots had turned out. He explained that these little pots were part of a collaborative project of Loulé Criativo, where they will be given to the local lady weavers who will top them off with their woven local dried plants. 

António is a musician and didn’t grow up with his hands in clay, but these days he is embracing it wholeheartedly. He even runs workshops to pass on the skills he has learned from his father. 

Spinning full circle

Xavier’s journey from carpenter to potter to barman and back shows how life keeps spinning and the good son does indeed eventually come home. 

This artisan is preserving the tradition of Algarve chimneys and, with António now working alongside him, is ensuring the artform survives – one carefully crafted chimney at a time. 

If you are looking for your own unique chimney or wish to take a workshop, then please follow them on Instagram or get in touch. 

@olaria_xavier

olariaxavier1976@gmail.com

+351 927 188 223

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