Campana Brothers Furniture
The Campana Brothers were among Brazil’s foremost contemporary furniture designers. Inspired by their country’s vernacular culture, Humberto and Fernando Campana (b. 1953; 1961–2022) combined everyday objects in unexpected ways — often waste materials like rope, cardboard, plastic tubing, and aluminum wire — to make their singular chairs, decor, lighting and other items. Their designs have been manufactured by such companies as Alessi, Swarovski and Cappellini. And they received numerous honors, including being named Designer of the Year both at Design Miami in 2008, and by Maison & Objet in Paris in 2012.
Humberto Campana was born in Rio Claro in 1953 and earned a bachelor’s degree in law from the University of São Paulo. Fernando was born in 1961 in Brotas, and graduated from the São Paulo School of Fine Arts with a bachelor’s degree in architecture.
The Campana brothers started working together in 1983, crafting furniture using their signature method of adaptive reuse. Their pieces frequently refer to Brazilian social and cultural traditions and entities. Among these are the country’s favelas, or shantytowns, that have grown up around major cities. An homage to the resourcefulness with which the residents of São Paulo’s favelas make use of the materials at hand, repurposing cast-off objects in ingenious designs and constructions, their Favela armchair is made of cast-off strips of wood (the first one was made from discarded slats from a fruit market), which are glued and nailed together seemingly at random. The end result, however, is a compact, solid and well-proportioned chair.
By 1997, some of the Campanas’ pieces were being produced and sold in Italy, including the Edra Vermelha armchair, constructed of cord handwoven around a steel frame. In 1998, the brothers became the first Brazilian designers to have their work exhibited at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. Today their furniture is included in MoMA’s permanent collection and in those of numerous other major institutions, such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, and the Vitra Design Museum.
On 1stDibs, find a collection of Campana Brothers armchairs, case pieces and other furniture.
Early 2000s Italian Post-Modern Campana Brothers Furniture
Aluminum
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Campana Brothers Furniture
Glass
1940s French Neoclassical Revival Vintage Campana Brothers Furniture
Brass
Mid-20th Century American Hollywood Regency Campana Brothers Furniture
Chrome
1960s Mid-Century Modern Vintage Campana Brothers Furniture
Wood
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Campana Brothers Furniture
Wood
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Campana Brothers Furniture
Brass
Mid-20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Campana Brothers Furniture
Rosewood
1970s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Campana Brothers Furniture
Burl
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Campana Brothers Furniture
Walnut
1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Campana Brothers Furniture
Stoneware, Wood
1950s Swedish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Campana Brothers Furniture
Teak
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Campana Brothers Furniture
1970s Italian Modern Vintage Campana Brothers Furniture
Brass
Campana Brothers furniture for sale on 1stDibs.
Creators Similar to Campana Brothers
- 1stDibs ExpertMay 3, 2024The Campana Brothers are known for being among Brazil's foremost contemporary furniture designers. Inspired by their country's vernacular culture, Humberto and Fernando Campana combine everyday objects — often waste materials like rope, cardboard, plastic tubing and aluminum wire — in unexpected ways to make their singular chairs, decor, lighting and other items. Their designs have been manufactured by such companies as Alessi, Swarovski and Cappellini. They have received numerous honors, including being named Designer of the Year both at Design Miami in 2008 and by Maison&Objet in Paris in 2012. Find a range of Campana Brothers furniture on 1stDibs.