Fernando Campana

Brazilian designers Fernando and Humberto Campana have significantly shaped the design world with their unconventional approaches over the past 40 years. In 1984, they founded Studio Campana in São Paulo, which gained international acclaim for its unique and innovative ideas in the fields of furniture and product design, architecture, landscape design, fashion, and beyond. Whether it's meters of colorful ropes winding around a metal framework, hundreds of overlapping pieces of fabric, a seemingly endless tangle of painted steel wire, or a bundle of sewn-together stuffed animals – what might initially appear to be a sculpture or even a performance is, in all of these cases, one thing above all: a piece of seating. Until Fernando's death in 2022, the duo transformed everyday materials, often considered "worthless," into iconic pieces of furniture and product designs. Their work is characterized by a remarkable combination of traditional craftsmanship and experimental materials, often inspired by everyday life or Brazilian culture. In Brazil, the Portuguese word "gambiarra" describes the inventive approach to solving a problem economically and creatively, to improvise. This is a way of life and a practice born out of necessity that is ubiquitous in São Paulo, one of the world's most populous cities. Many of the Campana brothers' designs embrace this concept of accumulating diverse materials, thus creating an aesthetic of spontaneity and improvisation.

An outstanding example of this is the "Favela Chair," which, as the name suggests, was inspired by the improvised shacks in the Brazilian favelas. "The people in the favelas fill the space around them with wood and plastic without apparently thinking rationally—their construction method is very intuitive. When making the chair, I tried to emulate their behavior," explains Fernando Campana. In collaborations with leading brands such as Alessi, Louis Vuitton, and Edra, the Campana brothers have caused a stir not only in the design scene but also in the art world. Their work expands the understanding of design and emphasizes the importance of sustainability, innovation, and cultural identity. The designs of Fernando and Humberto Campana can be found in international museums and collections.