Dead Laranja, the creative platform by architect and artist Francisco Couto, is introducing a unique hands-on workshop that dives into the world of tufting—a vibrant textile technique that’s as much about artistic freedom as it is about tactile expression. Known for pushing the boundaries between art and architecture, Dead Laranja creates space where material experimentation and playful design meet. This workshop is a continuation of that ethos, inviting participants to explore how threads, color, and form can become tools for personal storytelling.
Tufting is a contemporary method of textile; making that involves using a tufting gun to insert yarn into a fabric backing. Originally associated with rug-making, the technique has recently experienced a creative revival, especially in design circles where it's now used to craft everything from bold wall pieces to experimental sculptural works. The tufting gun itself allows for quick, intuitive work, translating sketches into soft, layered textures with an immediacy that's hard to match in other mediums. It’s tactile, dynamic, and incredibly rewarding.
In the workshop, Francisco Couto shares not only the technical ins and outs of the tufting process—how to operate the gun, stretch and prep your fabric, select materials, and finish your piece—but also his perspective as a spatial thinker. For him, tufting isn’t just about textile design; it’s about form, rhythm, and gesture. Participants will be encouraged to think beyond the frame and consider how their tufted artworks relate to space and surface, echoing the sensibilities of architecture and installation art.
