Forma Brazil Chairs
Brazilian
Forma stands at the forefront of a revival of Brazilian modern furniture. Fashioned from high-grade regionally sourced hardwoods, leather and iron, even Forma's earliest creations have stood the test of time. The company’s alluring mid-century modern works appealed to homeowners at its peak, from the 1950s through the ’70s, and given the broadening interest in Brazilian furniture and the likes of designers such as Sérgio Rodrigues, vintage Forma is making a major comeback today.
Forma began in São Paulo, under the leadership of Italian designer Carlo Hauner and Austrian architect and interior designer Martin Eisler. Hauner studied drawing and technical drawing at the Brera Academy in Milan. After participating in the Venice Biennale, he emigrated to São Paulo, where he established the furniture manufacturer Móveis Artesanal, for which Carlo and Martin — as well as Carlo’s brother Ernesto Hauner — would create a range of pieces for the home.
In 1936, Eisler earned a degree in architecture from the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna, where he studied under Oskar Strnad and Clemens Holzmeister. With World War II looming, he left Austria immediately after graduating. He first went to Czechoslovakia, to which some of his family had already fled. In 1938, he moved to Buenos Aires, Argentina, and opened his interior design firm Interieur Forma.
Eisler relocated to Brazil in the early 1950s, where he met Hauner. At the time, Eisler had been looking for help producing furniture for his brother-in-law, Ernesto Wolf, and contacted Hauner. The two found that they had a shared vision, and with financial help from Wolf, they opened Galeria Artesanal as a storefront for Móveis Artesanal.
Looking to expand into international sales, the duo rebranded the company Forma. Sérgio Rodrigues, who helped launch a branch of Artesanal in Curitiba, was put in charge of interiors at Forma. That company soon became one of the biggest names in Brazilian furniture — it sold its own sculptural rattan lounge chairs, bookcases and other case pieces crafted with rosewood or jacaranda, and Forma was eventually distributing furniture licensed from iconic American manufacturer Knoll, thereby bringing works by noted designers such as Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, Charles Eames and Harry Bertoia to the Brazilian market.
The Forma furniture company continued producing masterfully crafted furniture into the 1970s, until Eisler's death in 1977. Forma folded soon after, but Eisler's company in Argentina, Interieur Forma, is still in business today.
On 1stDibs, explore Forma seating, tables and storage pieces.
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Creator: Forma Brazil
Brazilian Modern Chair in Cane & Iron by Carlo Hauner & Martin Eisler, 1950s
By Forma Brazil, Carlo Hauner and Martin Eisler
Located in New York, NY
This Brazilian modern chair was designed by Carlo Hauner & Martin Eisler and is absolutely beautiful. The structure is made with an iron frame ...
Category
1950s Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Forma Brazil Chairs
Materials
Iron
Brazilian Modern Chair in Cane & Iron by Carlo Hauner & Martin Eisler, 1955
By Forma Brazil, Carlo Hauner, Martin Eisler
Located in New York, NY
This Brazilian modern chair was designed by Carlo Hauner & Martin Eisler in 1955. The frame is made with a black iron structure that supports t...
Category
1950s Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Forma Brazil Chairs
Materials
Iron
Martin Eisler & Carlo Hauner Brazilian Design Pink Silk Wood Dining Chairs, 1950
By Carlo Hauner and Martin Eisler, Forma Brazil
Located in Barcelona, ES
Martin Eisler (1913-1977) & Carlo Hauner (1927-1997)
Dining chairs
2 available.
Manufactured by Forma Moveis,
Brazil, 1950
Wood, cane and silk upholstery
Measurements
40 cm x 50 c...
Category
Early 20th Century Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Forma Brazil Chairs
Materials
Silk, Cane, Wood
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Literature
Brazil Modern, the rediscovery of 20th century Brazilian furniture – Aric Chen, 2016.
Martin Eisler (Vienna, Austria, 1913 - São Paulo, Brazil, 1977), was an architect and furniture designer. He was part of a group of European architects and designers who left Europe during the chaos of the Second World War and went to live and work in Brazil. Eisler stood out amongst this group of creatives, his work was at the forefront of modern furniture design in Brazil which flourished through the 50s and 60s in the region. The work of Martin Eisler in partnership with Carlo Hauner (1927-1996) was of particular significance.
Eisler left Europe in 1938 due to the rise of fascist regimes. He first lived in Argentina, where he was settled and worked as an architect, set designer and interior designer, he opened up an interior design firm Interieur Forma. In 1940, he married Rosl Wolf, the daughter of German immigrants.
Born in Brescia in 1927, Carlo Hauner studied technical drawing and drawing at the Brera Academy in Milan, Italy. In 1948 he successfully participated in the Venice Biennale after which he moved to Brazil, where he dedicated himself to the design of textile, ceramics, furniture and architecture. In only a very short time he founded a furniture production company and purchased a factory from Lina Bo Bardi and her husband Pietro Bardi, renaming it Móveis Artesanal.
In 1953 Hauner met Martin Eisler, who was looking for help to produce furniture for the home of his brother-in-law, Ernesto Wolf. Eisler reached out to Hauner and the rest is history. The two men connected and with Wolf’s financial backing, they opened Galeria Artesanal (a store for their company Móveis Artesenal) on a busy street in São Paulo.
Being highly ambitious and with an eye on the international market as well as the upcoming office market, Móvies Artesanal later changed into Forma. Along with Oca, Forma became one of the biggest names in Brazilian furniture production. Even managing to attract an exclusive license to sell Knoll furniture, bringing big names in international design such as Mies Van Der Rohe, Charles Eames and Harry Bertoia to the Brazilian furniture market. Hauner and Eisler’s designs are characterized by the use of Brazilian woods, thin tubular frames and a range from furniture, to ceramics and textiles. Some of their most famous designs are the “rib” lounge chair...
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Mid-20th Century Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Forma Brazil Chairs
Materials
Metal
H 27.96 in W 27.56 in D 20.87 in
Previously Available Items
Reversible Chair by Carlo Hauner & Martin Eisler for Forma Moveis, Brazil, 1955
By Carlo Hauner and Martin Eisler, Forma Brazil
Located in London, GB
The Reversible chair was designed by Carlo Hauner and Martin Eisler, an Italian-Austrian duo based in Brazil. They co-founded the company Forma Moveis and...
Category
1950s Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Forma Brazil Chairs
Materials
Metal
H 25.99 in W 40.16 in D 27.96 in
Pair of Carlo Hauner Martin Eisler Shell Chairs for Forma, Brazil, 1950s
By Carlo Hauner and Martin Eisler, Forma Brazil
Located in London, GB
The emerging interest in Brazilian design and manufacturing is palpable across both contemporary and midcentury design. The Shell lounge chair is establishing itself as an icon of th...
Category
1950s Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Forma Brazil Chairs
Materials
Metal
H 30.71 in W 29.14 in D 30.32 in
Reversible Chair by Carlo Hauner & Martin Eisler for Forma Moveis, Brazil, 1955
By Carlo Hauner and Martin Eisler, Forma Brazil
Located in London, GB
The Reversible chair was designed by Carlo Hauner and Martin Eisler, an Italian-Austrian duo based in Brazil. They co-founded the company Forma Moveis and...
Category
1950s Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Forma Brazil Chairs
Materials
Metal
H 25.99 in W 40.16 in D 27.96 in
Midcentury Brazilian Chair in Imbúia by Forma, 1960s
By Forma Brazil
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Midcentury Brazilian chair in Imbúia by Forma, 1960s
Produced by Forma in the 1960s, it has all its structure in Brazilian Imbúia wood. ...
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Straw, Imbuia
Carlo Hauner Martin Eisler Shell Chair
By Carlo Hauner and Martin Eisler, Forma Brazil
Located in London, GB
The emerging interest in Brazilian design and manufacturing is palpable across both contemporary and mid-century design. The Shell lounge chair is establishing itself as an icon of t...
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1950s Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Forma Brazil Chairs
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Rib Lounge Chair by Martin Eisler and Carlo Hauner for Forma Brazil
By Martin Eisler, Carlo Hauner, Forma Brazil
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Rare lounge chair designed by Martin Eisler and Carlo Hauner for Forma Brazil, in teak and black-lacquered iron, with cream velvet cushions.
Category
1950s Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Forma Brazil Chairs
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Forma Brazil chairs for sale on 1stDibs.
Forma Brazil chairs are available for sale on 1stDibs. These distinctive items are frequently made of natural fiber and are designed with extraordinary care. There are many options to choose from in our collection of Forma Brazil chairs, although brown editions of this piece are particularly popular. Many of the original chairs by Forma Brazil were created in the mid-century modern style in south america during the 20th century. If you’re looking for additional options, many customers also consider chairs by Geraldo de Barros, Carlo Hauner, and José Zanine Caldas. Prices for Forma Brazil chairs can differ depending upon size, time period and other attributes — on 1stDibs, these items begin at $5,391 and can go as high as $9,000, while a piece like these, on average, fetch $7,952.