With his roots nestled in Trás-os-Montes, Paulo Tuna was born in Vila Real with his heart wandering the old family chestnut fields, standing proud between the natural granite stronghold of Marão and and the fertile valleys of Campeã.
The telluric power of this northern breathtaking landscape sided by the ancient wisdom of men, sparkled, already in childhood, this fascination for forged items, mainly agricultural tools, but also knives made for everyday use or in rituals slowly but undoubtedly forgotten.
In the 1990’s, Paulo Tuna was able to explore new horizons, fine tune his innate talent for drawing and understand work discipline, all by attending the Sculpture Course in Caldas da Rainha. Persistency and gruelling commitment, to exhaust all knowledge in the raw materials he so came to love. His pieces, unrepeatable, made from scratch and a mirror of a profound technical knowledge and life experience. These are then unique tools, desirable items, essential shapes made into existence in our world.
Jose Antunes, Director of Caldas da Rainha Art Center