Raul Cunca. The patient investigation of an ethical design for local identities valorization. Raul Cunca. A paciente investigação de um design ético para a valorização das identidades locais.

The essay concerns the design research of Raul Cunca, Portuguese designer and professor at FBAUL, Universidade de Lisboa and offers a critical contribution to his thematic peculiarities are directed towards contemporary industrial design. The contribution is part of a catalog published on the occasion of the last exhibition of Raul Cunca's works entitled "Raul Cunca - Design for Life", held at the Municipal Art Gallery Casa Amarela in Castelo Branco (Portugal). His thematic peculiarities are directed towards contemporary industrial design. In this sense, a particular sensitivity characterizes his latest products. He uses natural materials from Portuguese tradition and new low-cost technologies due to his continuous and patient search for a Portuguese identity. It is an international oriented design, based on the appreciation of local realities. He also directs it to the idea of participatory design. He first places people’s questioning and listening to interpret their needs. Then he involves them in the productive processes. Cunca conceives objects primarily concerning everyday actions and practices. They are the expression of a familiar presence, which incorporate a déjà-vu. They contribute to creating an enfold atmosphere that involves our emotional perception. The innovative nature of his projects is in his ability to develop a formal language. A language that appropriates the chosen materials characteristics to enhance their qualities. The identity of his objects coincides with the essence of the materials. It coincides with their presence, weight, colors, textures quality, and natural patterns. Besides, the real temperature of the wood and cork surfaces - and, to some extent, the corrugated board - also harmonize with the man, without subtracting energy (Zumthor, 2008). A rigorous pragmatism imbues his materials choice. His design attitude places, first of all, the economy of the solutions adopted. His preference for natural materials is related to the territory. It is also related to particular and productive contexts. An in-depth study of Raul Cunca’s project research should consider some issues that define his peculiarities. These are fundamental themes for a designer on the evolution of a unique design path. In the case of Cunca, he began in the early eighties of the twentieth century. They are also important due to contemporary issues. Notably, the ones with which the Portuguese designer takes a markedly ethic position.