Francisco Brennand: Master Of Ceramic Dreams
The Brazilian contemporary sculptor Francisco Brennand is likely mostly known for his large ceramic sculptures. More often than not these sculptures represent sensual surreal figures and shapes.
Without having seen his work in reality you might wonder, where the 88-year old Francisco Brennand got his nickname ‘The Master of Dreams’ from. After seeing his work at Oficina Brennand you will likely understand this nickname much better.
When we were travelling through Brazil for some months and heard that the dream-like Oficina Brennand was the place to see the sculptor Brennand’s work, we just had to make a visit to it. So we did.
Getting to Oficina Brennand
Let’s first start with mentioning that getting to the estate, situated in the midst of an Atlantic rain forest reserve in Varzea, is not that simple.
Determined to travel as cheaply as possible, we decided to see how far we would get by public transport. We ended up taking a taxi halfway however, as the route was – at the time – not clear at all. And yes, we simply got lost somewhere in the outskirts of Recife. When you go there, we suggest to simply take a taxi from Recife. This will make things a lot simpler and – not unimportantly – give you more time for your actual visit.
Once we arrived at the former tile factory, we were really happy to have made the whole journey from Recife to Varzea. It was actually quite amazing to see what Brennand made here in the outskirts of Recife. The converted tile factory is almost like a sanctuary for his art, where meters high surrealistic shapes and figures are awaiting your visit.
Opening hours:
Oficina Brennand is open to the public every day (opening hours Monday – Thursday 8.00am – 5.00pm, Friday 8.00am – 4.00pm, Saturday and Sunday 10.00am-4.00pm). Click here for more details (in Portuguese).
Where else to find Francisco Brennand’s work?
Like to see more of Brennand’s work? In the sculpture park in Recife’s Antigo district you can see more of his works.
For more art in Brazil check our other posts.