The cultural and religious expression of the island of São Miguel is part of the history and artistic work of Canadian photographer Danny Custódio, the son of Azorean immigrants. According to Danny, every year during the island’s religious festivities, the entire community comes together to cover the street pavement with wood shavings, flowers, and seasonal local plants, forming a carpet for the procession to pass over.
“As the son of immigrants from São Miguel, I have always been fascinated by this tradition. During a visit to the Azores in my childhood, I remember helping my uncles assemble the section of the carpet that stretched across the front of their home. The scent of freshly picked petals and fresh vegetation was striking and became even more intense when the flowers were stepped on during the procession,” says Danny Custódio.
A key element in creating the carpets is the frame, which serves as a template for the decoration. It is handmade and passed down through generations. The designs include circles, diamonds, squares, and other geometric patterns. The frames are filled with leaves, flowers, and wood shavings collected from local gardens and natural areas. Following are some examples:
Danny Custódio explains that “growing up in Toronto, in the Little Portugal neighbourhood, strengthened my sense of belonging to the Portuguese community. However, after moving to St. Catharines, I felt somewhat distanced from those roots. To reconnect, I began creating my own floral carpets.”
After months of research, the artist began producing frames inspired by designs passed down through his family. “Grandparents, uncles, and cousins shared traditions that I have reinterpreted in a contemporary context. Today, I collect plants from my garden and from the Niagara region to continue this practice, creating my own interpretation of this family art form. Hydrangea, a symbol of the Azores and common in suburban gardens, has become a recurring element in my work.”
After assembling the frames and arranging the flowers and plants, the compositions are photographed in a studio. The images are then digitally processed to form the long pathways of the carpets. “My goal is to evoke cultural history, family pride, and nostalgia, connecting memories of the past with the present,” says the artist.
Floral photographic pieces can be purchased directly from the author’s website: dannycustodio.com
