humberto + fernando campana debut animal center table at carpenters workshop gallery

humberto + fernando campana debut animal center table at carpenters workshop gallery
(above) animal center table, 2016
straw marquetry, polished brass
limited edition of 8+4 AP
image courtesy of carpenters workshop gallery

humberto + fernando campana: manufatura
carpenters workshop gallery, paris
april 2nd to may 22, 2016

brothers humberto and fernando campana have always paid particular attention to the quality and execution of their works. often employing mundane or discarded materials, the brazilian designers continue to elevate their humble mediums into pieces that are rendered with a high-level of craftsmanship and skilled technique. they bring forth a selection of pieces from their collections ‘animal center’, ‘bolotas’, ‘detonado’ and ‘ofidia’ in their solo exhibition ‘manufatura’ — manufacture in portuguese — at the carpenters workshop gallery in paris; displaying their very particular creative approach to objects and spaces. the show celebrates brazilian savoir-faire and emphasizes the duo’s desire to highlight their heritage, offering a reinterpretation of their own artistic and creative practices where tradition and innovation mix together.

estudio campana
animal center table, 2016
straw marquetry, polished brass
limited edition of 8+4 AP
image courtesy of carpenters workshop gallery

the ‘manufatura’ exhibition sees the campanas reveal ‘animal center table’. referencing similar forms found in their ‘ofidia’ series, the ‘animal center table’ features a patchwork of straw marquetry on its horizontal plane, organically shaped and supported by a hammered, polished brass frame. the work pays homage to french marquetry master jean-michel frank who used a lot of straw to inlay tables, screens and seats.

estudio campana
animal center table, 2016
straw marquetry, polished brass
limited edition of 8+4 AP
image courtesy of carpenters workshop gallery

estudio campana
detonado console, 2015
sucupira wood, reclaimed wicker from thonet chairs
limited edition of 8+4 AP
image courtesy of estudio campana
see more about the ‘detonado modular shelf’ on designboom here

creating a dialogue between european and brazilian design with modernist influences, the ‘detonado’ series uses sucupira wood, typical of brazil, juxtaposed with reclaimed wicker from thonet chairs, icons of industrially designed furniture of the 19th century. the series comprises a modular shelf, a console table and a sideboard.

estudio campana
detonado side board, 2015
sucupira wood, reclaimed wicker from thonet chairs
limited edition of 8+4 AP
image courtesy of estudio campana

‘our initial inspiration was the desire to mix the characteristic stringing of tennis racquets with the process of caning (weaving chair seats) typical of the portuguese and brazilian furniture at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th century,’ humberto and fernando campana explain. ‘furthermore, we wanted to dematerialise the material by using the leftovers of traditionally hand-woven wicker, in order to bring a new look to this material, close to basketry, playing with its transparency. the weaving was done here in the studio with a local artisan.’

estudio campana
detonado side board, 2015
sucupira wood, reclaimed wicker from thonet chairs
limited edition of 8+4 AP
image courtesy of estudio campana

estudio campana
ofidia mirror, 2015
cast bronze
limited edition of 8+4 AP
image courtesy of estudio campana
see more about the ‘ofidia side table’ on designboom here

the ‘ofidia’ series is reminiscent of a long piece of rope that slithers and twists itself in an organic but dynamic way to form a side table and mirror. meaning ‘snake’ in portuguese, ‘ofidia’ is cast in bronze and is influenced by the sinuous undulations of a reptile.

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