A THREE WEEK
MARBLE CARVING WORKSHOP
January 11–31 2027
Led by artist Rasma Pušpure, this small-group workshop combines hands-on marble carving instruction with the time, space, and community of an artist residency. It is open to artists and creative practitioners at a range of experience levels and is particularly accessible to those interested in working with marble for the first time. No previous stone-carving experience is required.
Participants will be introduced to the fundamentals of working with marble, from understanding and selecting the material to cutting, carving, shaping, grinding, and finishing. The first two weeks include approximately 40 hours of structured instruction, with mornings dedicated to working with Rasma and afternoons available for independent studio work. The third week shifts into a more independent working period, with Rasma available on a limited basis for consultation and guidance as participants develop and complete their work.
The workshop begins with the material itself and the landscape it comes from. Participants will visit local working marble quarries, learn about the region’s long relationship with marble, and select their own stone from locally available marble off-cuts. These visits offer the chance to experience the landscape and material at its source before bringing selected pieces back to OBRAS to begin working.
The scale of the workshop is intentionally human. Participants will work with pieces of marble they can personally handle, work on at OBRAS, and ultimately take home with them. Marble and use of the necessary carving tools are included in the workshop fee.
This is more than a daytime workshop. Participants live at OBRAS for the full three weeks, staying in Casa Principal and becoming part of the residency community.
Alongside the workshop, there is time for independent studio work, shared dinners, conversations with other artists in residence, and the everyday experience of living and working at OBRAS in rural Alentejo.
At the end of the three weeks, participants will be invited to informally share their finished work and talk about their process and experience.
Structure
Week One
Participants will visit local marble quarries and select pieces of marble from available off-cuts to bring back to OBRAS. With Rasma, they will be introduced to the material itself, including the fundamentals of cutting, carving, shaping, tools, safety, and basic approaches to design. Through demonstrations, experimentation, and individual guidance, participants will begin considering the possibilities of their selected stone and develop an idea for a personal project.
Structured instruction takes place Sunday - Thursday, 9:00–13:00. Afternoons are available for independent studio work.
Week Two
The focus shifts toward developing that individual project. Participants will begin working more independently with their marble while continuing to receive hands-on instruction, demonstrations, problem-solving support, and one-on-one guidance from Rasma.
Structured instruction takes place Sunday - Thursday, 9:00–13:00. Afternoons are available for independent studio work.
Week Three
Becomes a more independent working period, giving participants dedicated time to develop and complete their projects. Rasma will remain available on a limited basis for consultation, troubleshooting, and guidance as each participant brings their work toward completion.
Cost
€1,795 per person
INCLUDED: three weeks of accommodation at OBRAS, studio/workspace access, approximately 40 hours of structured instruction, marble, use of workshop tools, quarry visits and marble selection.
NOT INCLUDED: Travel to and from OBRAS, most meals and groceries, personal expenses, travel and medical insurance, and shipping or special transportation of completed work are not included.
Participants are required to maintain their own travel and medical insurance for the duration of the workshop and residency.
Deposit: 50% (€897.50) to secure your place. OBRAS’s 90-day cancellation policy applies.
Rasma Pušpure
Rasma Pušpure is a Latvian jewellery artist, designer, educator, and Head of the Metal Design Department at the Art Academy of Latvia. With a background spanning jewellery, metalwork, contemporary art, and material exploration, she has been teaching at the Academy since 2018 and has extensive experience guiding students through both technical and creative processes. She leads courses like “Metal design”, “Work in Material”, “Design Research”, “Contemporary Art Jewellery in the Making” and supervises BA and MA projects.
Her artistic practice is rooted in deep curiosity about materials and their inherent qualities. She works across a wide range of materials, including metals, precious and non-precious minerals, porcelain, clay, wood, paper, textiles, and other unconventional materials. Her approach is grounded in experimentation, careful observation, and respect for the character of each material.
As an educator, Rasma is particularly interested in encouraging participants to develop a personal dialogue with the material they are working with. In marble carving, she sees the process as an opportunity to slow down, observe the stone, understand its structure and qualities, and discover the form within it through a combination of intention, intuition and hands-on making.
For Rasma, working with marble is closely connected to her broader interest of minerals, fossils and natural materials - their textures, colours, imperfections, history and unique identities. She approaches marble not simply as a material to be shaped, but as a partner in the creative process, inviting participants to explore the unique qualities of selected marble while developing a personal concept and allowing their own idea to gradually take form.
