Born in 1955 in Borba, Portugal, I have been working for more than 30 years as a sculptor. I have started my activity in art working with clay in an atelier in Lisbon. Soon moulding was no longer enough for me and I returned to my home town, which is known for its considerable marble deposits. As an autodidact I dedicated myself to sculpture, until I followed my wife to Germany in 1990. There I had my own atelier and exhibition rooms, where I enabled also other artists to show their works to a continually growing audience.
A very enriching experience was the organisation of a sculptor symposium, to which I invited German and Portuguese artists to take part. For several weeks we worked and lived together and had the opportunity to exchange views.
Since many years I regularly conduct courses, especially for children and young people, where I introduce the participants to working on stone. I want to continue this tradition in the Alentejo and offer courses not only for local children, but also for adults who would like to spend their holidays in a different way and want to prove their creativity during a stay in Montemor-o-Novo.
After my graduation in translation of Italian and Portuguese at the University of Heidelberg I have worked for more than 20 years in international sales. Besides my job I studied teaching German as foreign language in a blended learning course offered by the University of Jena and the Goethe Institute. The dream to create a project in Portugal where both of us could share our passion with others (in Filipes case sculpture and in my case languages), has always been present.
I would like to provide an approach to the Portuguese language to all persons interested in the country. Whether you are a beginner and want to manage basic everyday situations, or you would like to improve your previously acquired knowledge of Portuguese, I offer courses in an informal atmosphere, individually tailored to your needs and demands. The focus is always on imparting language competence, which allows you to handle certain situations in the foreign language.