Team
David Oliveira - Founder / Cultural Agent
Born in Estreito de Câmara de Lobos, 31 years old. In his childhood, he grew up watching his mother and grandmother embroider fascinating motifs, which motivated him to create the Bailha project in 2021. He lived in Porto and Oslo, where he studied architecture, and learned to value Madeira's natural and cultural heritage. He contributed to the application of the Levadas of Madeira for UNESCO World Heritage List (2020-2024), while curating exhibitions on Madeira's cultural landscape. Today, he studies user experience design in Berlin and coordinates the Bailha project.
Helena da Silva - Embroiderer
A native of Estreito de Câmara de Lobos, 67 years old. Since the age of 6, she has learned various embroidery techniques from her mother. She learned other types of embroidery, such as cross-stitch, canvas, and arraiolos, but it was in 2024 that she learned to embroider "vilhões" with Mrs. Sara and Dorina. She lived in Madeira for most of her life and 10 years in Canada. Back on the island, she spends her days tending to her numerous plants and creating the fruits, flowers, and animals of Bailha. Her versatility and talent for embroidering new motifs, as well as her passion for teaching new generations how to embroider, enrich this project.
Sara Faria - Embroiderer
Born in Estreito de Câmara de Lobos, 86 years old. She has been embroidering since she can remember, with over 75 years of experience in this skill, which was passed down to her by her mother. She lived in Caracas for 50 years, but never stopped embroidering Madeiran motifs. Today, in Madeira, she delights in embroidering traditional "vilhões" (embroidered pieces). She is the master of Bailha, who has so wonderfully passed on values, stories, and techniques to us, at a time when people who still master this art of embroidery are rare. With a youthful and curious spirit, she is always learning new things every day.
Dorina Pita - Embroiderer
Born in Estreito de Câmara de Lobos, 50 years old. She was still very young when her mother taught her the simplest embroidery stitches, such as chain stitch or granito stitch. At the age of 10, she left school and started working as an embroiderer at home, a very common situation in the 70s and 80s. She worked in two embroidery factories for 19 years, where she gained knowledge in the embroidery production process. Currently, she continues to embroider at home for pleasure and contributes her great talent to this project.
David Oliveira - Founder / Cultural Agent
Born in Estreito de Câmara de Lobos, 31 years old. In his childhood, he grew up watching his mother and grandmother embroider fascinating motifs, which motivated him to create the Bailha project in 2021. He lived in Porto and Oslo, where he studied architecture, and learned to value Madeira's natural and cultural heritage. He contributed to the application of the Levadas of Madeira for UNESCO World Heritage List (2020-2024), while curating exhibitions on Madeira's cultural landscape. Today, he studies user experience design in Berlin and coordinates the Bailha project.
Helena da Silva - Embroiderer
A native of Estreito de Câmara de Lobos, 67 years old. Since the age of 6, she has learned various embroidery techniques from her mother. She learned other types of embroidery, such as cross-stitch, canvas, and arraiolos, but it was in 2024 that she learned to embroider "vilhões" with Mrs. Sara and Dorina. She lived in Madeira for most of her life and 10 years in Canada. Back on the island, she spends her days tending to her numerous plants and creating the fruits, flowers, and animals of Bailha. Her versatility and talent for embroidering new motifs, as well as her passion for teaching new generations how to embroider, enrich this project.
Sara Faria - Embroiderer
Born in Estreito de Câmara de Lobos, 86 years old. She has been embroidering since she can remember, with over 75 years of experience in this skill, which was passed down to her by her mother. She lived in Caracas for 50 years, but never stopped embroidering Madeiran motifs. Today, in Madeira, she delights in embroidering traditional "vilhões" (embroidered pieces). She is the master of Bailha, who has so wonderfully passed on values, stories, and techniques to us, at a time when people who still master this art of embroidery are rare. With a youthful and curious spirit, she is always learning new things every day.
Dorina Pita - Embroiderer
Born in Estreito de Câmara de Lobos, 50 years old. She was still very young when her mother taught her the simplest embroidery stitches, such as chain stitch or granito stitch. At the age of 10, she left school and started working as an embroiderer at home, a very common situation in the 70s and 80s. She worked in two embroidery factories for 19 years, where she gained knowledge in the embroidery production process. Currently, she continues to embroider at home for pleasure and contributes her great talent to this project.