Kukas: Amanhã (Tomorrow)

Article / Artists Obituary History

Published: 12.03.2026

Kukas. Sitting down, she contemplates her work. The box she holds in her hands, like an oyster shell, secretly keeps in its heart a pearl. A pearl that metaphorically represents her secret creative source. Through it she reads her story, views her entire path. Passionately, she feels the shape and the weight of the gold-plated copper in her hands. A conductor, it carries Kukas. Her shadow is released. Curiously, she awaits tomorrow. / Cristina Filipe in Kukas. A cloud that breaks into rain, 2011, p. 31.
Untitled piece. Gold-plated copper and agate box from the 1960s. Private collection. Photo: C. B. Aragão, 2011.

Kukas, Maria da Conceição de Moura Borges, 1928–2026, was one of the pioneering figures of modern jewellery in Portugal. In 1958, she left for Paris, joining a generation of Portuguese artists seeking to escape the academic conservatism imposed by the dictatorial regime. It was there that she first encountered Scandinavian jewellery by her contemporary Vivianna Torun Bülow-Hübe (1927-2004) at Galerie Le Siècle on Boulevard Saint-Germain, a decisive moment that motivated her decision to devote herself to jewellery.

LOGIN
The page you have requested is ONLY AVAILABLE TO MEMBERS. If you are member, please, enter your login.

Forgot your password?

Remember me

To get access to full contents, click here.