sejkko documents the minimalistic magnificence of portugal's lonely houses

sejkko documents the minimalistic magnificence of portugal’s lonely houses
all images courtesy of manuel pita

embodying the colors and characteristics of the vibrant southern european country of portugal, photographer manuel pita — who goes by the name sejkko — has been documenting the region’s ‘lonely houses’ for more than a year. these traditional style dwellings, a genre of which the artist currently calls home, are each pictured against bright blue skies scattered with soft white clouds and the occasional flying bird. the structures are depicted in their minimalistic magnificence — tiny triangle roofs cover brightly colored boxes; pink, purple and yellow exterior walls radiate an inner warmth; window shutters and weather veins almost personify the spaces with onlooking eyes and quirky hats. despite their singularity, the images — taken with and edited on a phone, illustrate the vibrant spirit of both the place where they exist and the people that inhabit them.  

the traditional style dwellings are pictured against bright blue skies scattered with soft white clouds

‘my houses often have the vibrancy of the place where I grew up, but they may confuse the viewer,’ the artist says. ‘sometimes they may feel lost, and out of place. some other times, they have a sense of self-containment, and of human warmth inside. my houses will always carry elements of the child in me, and my home dichotomy.’

the colors used on the exterior of the house displays the vibrant spirit of the place where it exists 

quirky details like a rooster on the roof add to the character of the home 

the houses vary in style and size — above, a small home with a triangle roof and single window 

a line of laundry hangs outside the colorful seaside property 

this ‘lonely house’ has a friend — a palm tree stands tall beside the dwelling 

this exaggerated triangle roof contains a small house with a red door