Domingos Vaz
CANE
ENGINEER
Born (in 1954) and raised in Odeleite, basket weaver territory, Domingos Vaz learnt this art by watching his elders doing it. Back then, boys would entertain themselves by mastering cane, making toys and weaving baskets. That’s how they learnt, together, while playing. He left his home and worked on the railways. He lived in many cities. He studied civil engineering, but wherever he went, he would hunt out cane to remain connected to his home and his people. “When I working with cane, I feel as if I am reading a book about my home, my childhood, my family.” He likes to transform canes he has found in the countryside, a rough material, into pieces for the most varied purposes – “it’s a challenge”. And it’s not easy, as “the basket weaver can’t do what he wants with cane; he has to respect certain rules that this material requires”. Or, in other words, “cane also has a very strong personality”. His friendly nature and pleasure in teaching have meant that he regularly works with the TASA Project in workshops, mini-courses and creative experiences related to cane.
