João Xará (Oliveira de Azeméis, 1996) is a product designer. He graduated in Environmental Design from the Caldas da Rainha School of Arts and Design (ESAD.CR), complementing his training at the LUCA School of Arts in Brussels, and later completing a Master's degree in Product Design at ESAD.CR. He currently lives and works in Caldas da Rainha, where he develops a practice focused on the exploration of materials, production processes and manufacturing techniques, combining artisanal and industrial knowledge. His work shows a particular interest in local resources and native materials, seeking to understand the inherent qualities of each material and explore the possibilities that arise from collaboration with those who work with it daily. It is in this encounter between technical knowledge, experimentation and production that he builds a large part of his work process.
Throughout his career he has collaborated with various designers, artisans, studios and brands in Portugal and abroad, including projects for Australia, France, the United States, Switzerland and the United Kingdom, with a special focus on the development and monitoring of production in ceramics, glass and wood in Portugal. She worked as a product designer at Vicara, collaborated with Belgian designer Maarten De Ceulaer, develops projects with Swiss designer Britta Pukall, and has collaborated with Passa ao Futuro since 2022.
She has participated in exhibitions, fairs, and residencies such as Dutch Design Week, Maison & Objet, Lisbon Design Week, Messe Frankfurt, RARA (Azores), Oficina de Caldeiraria (Loulé Criativo), CAU (Cortém), Lãnd Project (Ecolã), and the Covilhã Design Triennial. She is a member of DOC – Associação Design Ofícios e Cultura, contributing to the organization of workshops, open studios, talks, and exhibitions in Caldas da Rainha. In 2024, she co-founded the furniture and objects brand Bora, along with Samuel Reis, Jorge Carreira, and Eneida Tavares. Over the past few years, he has developed projects for brands such as MOR Design, Tasco Tableware, CorkUnits, Vicara, RARA, Gannon Munro, Conserveira de Lisboa, and Porventura.
