Mirce Angelo's experiments: new materials, design, and possibilities in a rural studio in Portugal

Beyond Mircea Anghel's studio at the country estate in Alentejo, Portugal, a multitude of materials and ongoing projects sparkle in the sunlight: dazzling marble stones from nearby Estremoz, which will serve as the supports for his stunningly unique tables; a structure made of wooden bricks, awaiting the next phase of experimentation; a massive dead tree, bending and twisting at the perfect angle to guide visitors through the studio door.

“I saw this tree in the field and decided to bring it here. It stands exactly as it fell from the truck. Now my challenge is to resist the temptation to do something with it and just let it rot on our doorstep,” says Angel.

Mircea Angel: a random designer

The Romanian designer moved to Lisbon in 2000 with his parents when he was 14 years old. After graduating from the Faculty of Economics at the University of Lisbon, he was the top student in mathematics and found a job in the financial sector. His passion for design and woodworking emerged around the same time he was looking for a way to add a room to his parents' vacation home in Comporta - a protected coastal area where new construction is prohibited.

The experience of spending the night on a boat during a vacation in Morocco inspired the idea of building a hatch inside a boat moored on the shore. After getting the municipality's approval for his plan, Angel visited a sawmill in Herdade da Barrosinha, near Comporta, which later became his studio. There, he met Helder "Calminhas" Mateus, one of the few remaining traditional boat builders in Portugal, who helped him with the project and taught him the basics of woodworking.

Between this first experiment and international recognition, Angel "checked all the boxes": he worked in his free time before quitting his job; sold his products to friends and used the bathroom of his Lisbon apartment as a workshop. When it became too small, he started working on the street. Passing by, designer Joana Astolfi saw him, and as a result, they began working together on a window display for Hermès. Angel soon moved on to renting a corner in a shared workshop, and then he moved into his own workspace and founded the Cabana studio in 2015.

When a major client failed to pay a large part of the debt - a "turning point," as Angel puts it - he was prompted to develop tables that attracted international attention. Soon he was attending exhibitions in Paris and Brussels and began collaborating with designers Marcelo Julia from Naço and Lionel Jadot, the founder of Zaventem Ateliers.

Mirchi Angela's Tables: Experimental Furniture Design

Angel's tables reflect his passions: meticulous mathematics gives rise to a perfectly balanced design of opposing elements. The contrasting materials - the warm, smooth surface of wood against the cold, rough, shiny stone - make the balance even more impressive, while simultaneously creating a sense that these two elements were born to embrace each other.

The first series of stunning tables by Angelo, named "Pico" after the volcanic island in the Azores, was released in 2019 and featured mountain-like stones.

Creative process

Inspired by the principles of Japanese craftsmanship, Angel resists significant interference in his practice, much like his attitude towards the fallen tree outside his studio. "I choose my materials very carefully; they guide me. I spend a lot of time with the materials. I want to create from them, not disrupt their nature."

“I like the idea of having little control over the process. I love to experiment, perhaps because I have no formal education in either design or woodworking. I learned from people and through practice.” This is true for all 13 members of his team, from different countries such as Romania, Italy, and Ghana. “I prefer the desire to learn and take risks, as well as practical intelligence over formal education.”

Recently, the studio team started using a wider range of materials, which is best reflected in the project they are currently completing - furnishing the new Jam hotel in Lisbon using only recycled materials. They also created a complex revolving door at La Puerta, a private dining space in the three-Michelin-star restaurant Mirazur on the French Riviera.

The Herdade da Barrosinha estate, where the designer has been living with his wife and three children since 2019, and where he will hold his next exhibition, now has a significant influence. "The scale of the place has made my designs larger. Additionally, the numerous doors make me think about the meaning of a door, an element that I haven't seen so questioned in terms of design." He also has big plans: "I want to open a boat-building school and I have plans to create a community of designers and creators here in Barrosinha."

The exhibition of works by Mircea Angel will take place from July 1 to August 31 (by appointment only) at the Herdade da Barrosinha estate.