Bàrbara Art

Biel Cortés Lliteres, owner of Bàrbara Art, learned his trade as a tinsmith from his father, who moved from Manacor to Porreres to set up a workshop. In the past, they used to make lard cauldrons and everything necessary for slaughtering, as well as roasting machines, moulds of all kinds and trays for baking cakes.

Biel grew up in his father’s workshop and has been working as a tinsmith since the age of fifteen. Despite being a small workshop, they employed several women, including Margalida Ferrà’s mother, who has been working with Biel for almost forty years. Biel has been a master tinsmith since 1988.

In 1992, the family opened Bàrbara Art, named in memory of Biel’s wife, who devoted her mind, body and soul, just like him, to building up the family business. They work with tinplate, but also brass, copper, stainless steel and zinc, and turn these materials into all kinds of moulded items, from the most traditional such as crespell moulds and roasting machines for trempó cakes, etc. to other personalised pieces for the most avant-garde kitchen. Although the moulds are one of the most popular products, this shop is known for the impressive lamps it creates and designs, reproducing old models from this region and making new creations to meet the demands of its customers.

The workshop works with machines that are over one hundred and fifty years old and still ‘curling tin’, just as it was done in the old days. But this profession is not as easy as it looks, as it requires skill, strength, creativity and many years of experience. Biel stresses that they have always adapted to the circumstances and the demands of their customers. A good example of this is the mould for making empanadas (a type of baked or fried turnover consisting of pastry and filling), which combines tin and wood, bringing back the tradition of making them in the homes of those who had lost the tradition.

They have a large clientele from all over the island, who are attracted by the quality and design of the products produced there, most of which cannot be found in any other type of establishment.