Neighbours: Rodrigo, 2020

Rodrigo is an outgoing, friendly and charming Brazilian who has lived in Lisbon for a long time. Whilst I was preparing to open Atelier do Tijolo – repainting the walls, laying new flooring and building various flat pack furniture – Rodrigo would often cycle past with a big smile, always stopping to chat if I looked like I was taking a break. One day, I was having a problem with keeping my doors open in the wind and I asked some workman in my non-existent Portuguese if they had any extra tijolos available to hold open my doors. I wasn’t getting anywhere but Rodrigo appeared and helped with the translation. The workmen came back with some wood which still hold my doors open to this day. Rodrigo, later that afternoon came by, having found an unusually large tijolo on his way home from work.