New work by the Campana Brothers including a cabinet made from the skin of the world’s largest freshwater fish is on show at gallery Friedman Benda in New York (+ slideshow).
The exhibition features several new series, including Boca – a range of pieces upholstered in a patchwork of roughly stitched cowhide.
The Pirarucu cabinet is made from the leathery skin of the eponymous fish, which is sustainably harvested in Brazil.
Racket is a collection of chairs and screens made from bent brass rods with nylon threads used for the seat and back, which also features sections taken from the backs of old Thonet chairs.
The Fitas series consists of a buffet, cabinet and table featuring surfaces filled in with spiralling strips of bent steel.
A new sofa and chair covered in stuffed alligators is made by Orientavida, an NGO that teaches underprivileged women embroidery skills.
The Detonado chair is made from stainless steel with a wicker patchwork covering the arms, back and seat.
Amethyst rocks sourced from the brothers’ home city of Sao Paulo are fixed to glass surfaces in the Ametista collection.
Concepts is the first solo gallery show dedicated to the work of the Campana Brothers in the United States and is at gallery Friedman Benda until 3 July.
A collection of furniture decorated with detailed gold motifs by Fernando and Humberto Campana is currently on show at David Gill gallery in London and their bed surrounded by hairy raffia curtains was presented in Milan in April.
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Photography is by Fernando Laszlo, except where stated otherwise.
Here’s some more information from the gallery:
Campana Brothers: Concepts
June 5-July 3, 2013
Opening reception: Wednesday, June 5, 6-8 PM
New York, NY — Friedman Benda will present Campana Brothers: Concepts, the first solo gallery show in the United States by the renowned Brazilian designers, June 5-July 3, 2013.
The exhibition will introduce several new bodies of work that demonstrate a different direction for the brothers, while offering a complex and in-progress view of their practice as it stands during a pivotal moment in their careers. Loose and experimental in nature, Concepts will see the Campanas exploring a series of new approaches to their practice while overturning previously held certainties and expectations.
Arguably the most influential and acclaimed designers from any emerging country in the world, the Campana Brothers’ work is strongly influenced by their home country, Brazil, and thematically touches upon issues ranging from globalization to sustainability. Light-hearted and playful in nature, the Campanas’ designs often employ the use of recycled and humble materials, elevating these materials to a higher level in the creation of works that cross cultural boundaries while incorporating themes of transformation and reinvention.
The new works for Concepts include the Boca (Portuguese for “mouth”) series–new works in cowhide including a wall-mounted bookshelf, table, and standing shelf; the Racket collection–chairs and a screen in bent brass with a nylon stitched base and a hand-stitched motif made from remnant Thonet chair backings; Fitas (Portuguese for “stripe”)–a buffet, cabinet, and table made from bent steel; Pirarucu — a cabinet made out of the sustainably harvested tanned and leathered skin of the Brazilian Pirarucu, the world’s largest fresh water fish; and the Ametista collection–a series of glass hanging panels adorned with Sao Paulo-sourced amethyst rocks. Concepts will also include a new sofa and chair created out of a series of life-like stuffed alligators made by OrientVida, an NGO that employs underprivileged women.
The Campana Brothers, Fernando (born 1961) and Humberto (born 1953) have steadily built a career, achieving both national and international recognition since opening their studio in 1983. Based in Sao Paulo, Estudio Campana is constantly investigating new possibilities while creating bridges and dialogues where the exchange of information is a source of inspiration.
Campana pieces are part of the permanent collections of renowned cultural institutions including The Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris, the Vitra Design Museum in Weil am Rhein, and the Museum of Modern Art in Sao Paulo.
The brothers were honored with the Designer of the Year Award in 2008 by Design Miami/ and were awarded the Designers of the Year Award by Maison & Objet in 2012. That same year they were selected for the Comité Colbert Prize in Paris, honored at Beijing Design Week, and received the Order of Cultural Merit in Brasilia. In May 2013, they will be awarded the Order of Arts and Letters in Paris.
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