Eugénia Duarte, known as Geninha, is one of the most recent artisans at Casa da Empreita. Born in Monte Seco, in Loulé — a land with a strong tradition in the art of palm making — she grew up surrounded by women who mastered this technique: grandmothers, mother, aunts, cousins and neighbors.
Although he lived with this tradition from an early age, he never learned, as he emigrated young to the United States of America, where he lived, studied and graduated in Management and Marketing. He returned to Portugal at the age of 26, started a family and dedicated himself to banking, a profession to which he dedicated his entire working life.
Already in the pre-retirement phase, he decided to fulfill an old desire and attended a 42-hour Contract Course promoted by Loulé Criativo, where he learned the different techniques of palm work. Today he is part of Casa da Empreita, seeing this activity as an enriching hobby and a way to connect with his origins.
He likes to innovate, to imagine new models and applications for the enterprise and has a particular appreciation for making hats. He shares a taste for teaching and his main objective is to contribute so that this traditional art is not lost, helping to preserve it and adapt it to modern times.
