Born in Paços de Ferreira, Portugal, Rui Alves comes from a family of skilled craftsmen. His grandfather was a carpenter and his father was a woodworker. Since his childhood, Rui has been surrounded by tools and materials. His mind is always working on creating or disassembling something.
Rui studied industrial design at IADE (Instituto de Artes Visuais, Design e Marketing) in Lisbon, graduating in 2001. In the same year, he set up his own studio (MY OWN SUPER STUDIO) back in his hometown to undertake projects ranging from furniture to product design.
His design approach reflects his love for materials, processes, and simple everyday objects. Always paying attention to details – almost obsessively – he tries to make things that are simple, practical, and playful, and at same time give them a personality.
