Designed by Portuguese Rui Pereira, Barro is a tableware collection that brings the warmth and beautiful simplicity of terracotta to the table. Barro, which means ’red clay’ in Portuguese, was a way for the designer to highlight his home country’s craftsmanship traditions.
”Being Portuguese, this material is part of my memory and daily life for as far as I can remember,” Pereira says. ”These warm and simple objects can be found in street markets, restaurants, and homes across Portugal, a material for everybody, passed on from generation to generation.”
Pereira’s collection for HAY includes everything from plates and bowls to butter dishes and candleholders entirely crafted in Portugal from durable terracotta, with minimum water absorption and good impact resistance. Functional and simple silhouettes were central to the design.
”The rolled edge detail which frames plates, bowls and trays is the guiding thread of this collection,” said the designer. ”Its soft touch and proportions relate to the human fingertips, aiming to offer a pleasant articulation with the user’s hand.”
The crockery comes in a joyful range of natural glazes and high-gloss colours - Green, Dark Blue, Light Blue, Off White, Pink and Natural Terracotta - which were selected and calibrated to be combined indefinitely. However, ”not all items are available in all colours, making space for one’s own sensibility,” says Pereira. The aim is to invite people to mix and match and create a customised tablescape. All Barro pieces are dishwasher and microwave safe, ovenproof, and freezer-safe.
Rui Pereira is a Portuguese product designer whose fascination in learning from different cultures led him to live first in Valencia and Milan, and later in Copenhagen, where he currently resides. He seeks to find new perspectives and experiences by redefining product typologies, while exploring the potential of materials and manufacturing techniques. With Pereira Office, he collaborates with international clients, as well as working as design and visual direction manager for HAY. Rui Pereira has also designed the Barro Collection of terracotta tableware for HAY, and the Chim Chim Diffuser together with Japanese designer Ryosuke Fukasada.