Although best known for his photography, Geraldo de Barros was an important contributor to the canon of mid-century modern furniture design and was one of Brazil’s most influential multidisciplinary artists.
Born in 1923 in Chavantes, São Paulo, de Barros began his artistic career as a painter before discovering a passion for photography in the 1940s. In 1950, he found fame with his successful “Fotoformas” exhibition held at the Museu de Arte de São Paulo, which led to a scholarship from the French government to study in that country.
In the early 1950s, de Barros traveled throughout Europe, including Switzerland, where he met Bauhaus graduate Max Bill. At the time, Bill was collaborating with the Scholl Foundation on developing a design institute in Ulm, Germany, that combined Bauhaus tradition with emerging technical elements in design practice. Bill invited de Barros to visit the institute, where he became influenced by Bill’s philosophy of Gute Form — the belief that carefully designed objects could bring artistic values into homes.
Upon his return to São Paulo, de Barros delved into furniture design. Along with engineer Justino Cardoso, metalworker Antônio Thereza, and a Dominican priest, Friar João Batista Pereira dos Santos, he founded the furniture company and Christian cooperative Unilabor, in 1954, on the outskirts of São Paulo.
As the firm’s chief designer, de Barros incorporated the concept of Concrete art into many of his pieces, particularly his armchairs. His dining room chairs, bookcases, coffee tables, cabinets and desks were also designed with straight lines, sobriety and functionality in mind and made with natural materials such as rosewood, jacaranda and iron. Given that it was more of a cooperative with a social mission than it was a manufacturer, Unilabor paid well and offered innovative modular furniture by way of de Barros-designed components that were produced serially to be used in the construction of complete furnishings.
Despite Unilabor’s success, the company ran into economic difficulties and eventually closed. Undaunted, de Barros founded another furniture company in 1964 — Hobjeto Indústria e Comércio de Móveis — where he focused on progressive furniture design with more geometric shapes.
During the 1960s, de Barros continued with furniture design and, as a painter, became interested in Pop art and abstract movements, founding influential groups such as Grupo 15, Galeria Rex and Grupo Ruptura.
In the 1990s, de Barros returned to his career as a photographer until his death in 1998. De Barros’s furniture was shown at several exhibitions during the 1950s and 1960s, including the Exposição Nacional de Arte Concreta in São Paulo in 1956 and the Konkrete Kunst exhibition in Zurich in 1960. His photographs and paintings have also been exhibited in museums and galleries worldwide.
On 1stDibs, discover a range of vintage Geraldo de Barros seating, tables, case pieces and storage cabinets.
Geraldo de Barros, Bench, Wood, Metal, Brazil, 1970s
By Geraldo de Barros
Located in High Point, NC
A slatted wood bench designed by Geraldo de Barros and produced by Hobjeto, Brazil, c. 1970s. Light scratching and discoloration on top. Dimensions: 12.75” H x 78” W x 22.65” D 10...
Metal
Geraldo de Barros, Set of Six Rosewood Dining Chairs, Brazil, 1960s, Mid-Century
By Geraldo de Barros
Located in Amsterdam, NL
Geraldo de Barros MT-552 Dining Chairs Set of Six Wood & Cane 1960s
Cane, Hardwood
Geraldo de Barros Daybed, Rosewood, Brazil, 1960s
By Geraldo de Barros
Located in Amsterdam, NL
This daybed from the late 1950s embodies the constructive principles that guided de Barros’s work at Unilabor, combining strict geometry with refined rosewood joinery. Its structure ...
Rosewood
$9,500 / set
Geraldo De Barros leather armchairs
By Geraldo de Barros
Located in Washington, DC
Pair of very rare leather armchairs designed by very important Brazilian Modernist figure Geraldo De Barros who was an artist and furniture designer. Cushions with this more "free" style are very reminiscent of Sergio Rodrigues's iconic Mole chair...
Leather, Wood
Original MTF 600 Chair by Geraldo de Barros for Unilabor
By Unilabor, Geraldo de Barros
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Vintage iron chair designed by notable mid-century Brazilian furniture designer Geraldo de Barros and made by his company Unilabor in São Paulo. Great as a desk chair for someone pas...
Iron
Geraldo de Barros UL19 armchairs Unilabor Brazil 1955
By Geraldo de Barros, Unilabor
Located in Roosendaal, Noord Brabant
This rare set of two UL19 armchairs, designed by Geraldo de Barros and manufactured by Unilabor in Brazil in 1955, exemplifies the designer’s modular approach to furniture design. Ge...
Metal
$5,413 / item
14 Chairs by Geraldo de Barros
By Geraldo de Barros
Located in Milano, Lombardia
Brazil, 1954 Manufactured by Unilabor Iron tubular structure, fabric upholstery Literature: Mo´vel Brasileiro Moderno, FGV Projetos, Rio de Janeiro, 2012, p. 186-187; Nadia Simo...
Iron
$4,400Sale Price|48% Off
Geraldo de Barros Long Bench with original label
By Geraldo de Barros
Located in Washington, DC
Solid wooden bench by important Brazilian Modernist figure Geraldo De Barros with original label attached. De Barros pursued his interest in adaptin...
Wood
$31,881 / set
Geraldo de Barros arm chairs Unilabor Brazil 1950
By Geraldo de Barros
Located in Roosendaal, Noord Brabant
Stunning minimalistic armchairs by Geraldo de Barros and manufactured by Unilabor in Brazil, 1950. These chairs have a black painted tubular metal frame with subtle placed brass feet...
Metal
Small Bench with Rounded Edges, Geraldo de Barros, Brazilian Mid-Century Design
By Geraldo de Barros
Located in Sao Paulo, SP
Constructed from a richly grained hardwood, the bench features a series of individual, smoothly finished wooden slats laid out horizontally to form the seating surface. The slats are...
Hardwood
Brazilian Modern Phone in Table in Hardwood & Steel, Geraldo de Barros, 1950s
By Geraldo de Barros
Located in New York, NY
Attributed to a Brazilian workshop active in the 1950s, this telephone bench reflects a moment when domestic life was reshaped by new technologies and modern design responded with cl...
Metal
Set of 6 mtf600 Chair, Geraldo de Barros, Unilabor, Brazilian Midcentury, 1960s
By Geraldo de Barros, Unilabor
Located in New York, NY
Original Condition
Iron
$3,080Sale Price|20% Off
Geraldo de Barros Bench
By Geraldo de Barros
Located in Washington, DC
Long bench designed by Geraldo De Barros, considered one of the most important artists and designers In Brazilian Modernism.
Wood
Day Bed by Geraldo de Barros, 1960s
By Geraldo de Barros
Located in Barcelona, ES
Day bed Manufactured by Unilabor Brasil, 1960 Jacaranda wood, iron, fabric upholstery Measurements 190 cm x 90 cm x 40h cm 74,8 in x 35,43 in x 15,74h in Literature Unilabor, by Ma...
Iron
Pair of chairs by Geraldo de Barros for Hobjeto, Brazil, 1970s
By Geraldo de Barros
Located in Brasília, BR
Pair of chairs designed by Geraldo de Barros for Hobjeto in the 70s. Made from black lacquered veneer plywood. Fully restored and upholstered in a beige bouclé fabric. SEATING PAI...
Fabric, Wood
Double Day Bed by Geraldo de Barros, 1955
By Geraldo de Barros
Located in Barcelona, ES
Double day bed Manufactured by Unilabor Brazil, 1955 Jacaranda, fabric upholstery Measurements 182 cm x 189 cm x 34h cm 71,65 in x 73 in x 13,4h in Li...
Iron
$3,880Sale Price / set|20% Off
Geraldo De Barros pair of armchairs
By Geraldo de Barros
Located in Washington, DC
Pair of armchairs designed by very important Brazilian Modernist figure Geraldo De Barros who was an artist and furniture designer. These utilitarian chairs are not only beautiful, ...
Leather, Wood
Geraldo de Barros Lounge Chair in Iron and Yellow Upholstery
By Unilabor, Geraldo de Barros
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Geraldo de Barros for Unilabor, armchair, fabric, iron, wood, Brazil, 1955 Crafted by the Brazilian modernist designer Geraldo de Barros, this lounge chair showcases the typical mat...
Iron
Set of Six Brazilian Modern Chairs in Hardwood by Geraldo de Barros for Unilabor
By Geraldo de Barros
Located in New York, NY
This rare set of six dining chairs, designed by Geraldo de Barros for Unilabor in the late 1950s, represents one of the most rigorous and intellectually driven expressions of Brazili...
Leather, Hardwood
Brazilian Modern Set of 8 Dining Chairs in Rosewood & Cane, Geraldo de Barros
By Geraldo de Barros
Located in New York, NY
A disciplined study in proportion, material intelligence, and early Brazilian Modern ideology, this rare set of eight “MT 552” dining chairs was designed by Geraldo de Barros and pro...
Hardwood, Cane
Geraldo de Barros, 2-seater metal and upholstery sofa, c. 1970
By Geraldo de Barros
Located in PARIS, FR
Designed in the 1970s, this two-seater sofa in tubular metal and white fabric by Geraldo de Barros is to be placed in the artistic continuity of its creators, who was an important ar...
Metal
Tubular Armchair by Geraldo de Barros for Hobjeto, Brazil, 1970s
By Geraldo de Barros
Located in Brasília, BR
Tubular armchair designed by Geraldo de Barros for Hobjeto in the 70s. Made from black lacquered metal. This is the perfect piece for a collector. The cushions are original. They bea...
Metal
$3,242Sale Price / set|44% Off
Geraldo de Barros, pair of tubular metal armchairs, 1970s
By Geraldo de Barros
Located in Immenstaad am Bodensee, DE
Geraldo de Barros (1923–1998) was a pioneering Brazilian artist whose influence extended across various artistic disciplines, including painting, photography, and furniture design. B...
Metal
Brazilian Modern Pair of Armchairs in Green Leather, Geraldo de Barros, c. 1970s
By Geraldo de Barros
Located in New York, NY
Available today, with domestic shipping in NYC metro area included, this Brazilian Modern Pair of Armchairs in Green Leather, by Geraldo de Barros, c. 1970s, is nothing less than gor...
Metal
Set of Six Chairs in Rosewood, Model 4015 by Geraldo de Barros, Unilabor, 1950s
By Geraldo de Barros
Located in New York, NY
This chair designed by Geraldo de Barros has a light structure in solid rosewood, a characteristic of Unilabor's production, which used fine shapes in its designs for better use of i...
Leather, Rosewood
Set of 6 Unilabor Chairs MT 552, Geraldo de Barros, 1960s, Brazilian Design
By Geraldo de Barros
Located in New York, NY
This incredible set of six chairs designed by Geraldo de Barros (1923-1998) and manufactured by Unilabor has a frame in solid rosewood with cane backrests and seats. Because it is a ...
Cane, Rosewood
Brazilian Modern Armchairs in Hardwood & Fabric, Geraldo de Barros, 1970s
By Geraldo de Barros
Located in New York, NY
A refined and expressive pair of Brazilian modern armchairs designed by Geraldo de Barros, dating to the 1970s. Executed in Brazilian rosewood veneer, the chairs present a robust yet...
Hardwood, Fabric
Midcentury Round Armchairs designed by Geraldo de Barros, Unilabor, c. 1959
By Unilabor, Geraldo de Barros
Located in New York, NY
This incredible pair of rounded armchairs designed by Geraldo de Barros (1923-1998) and manufactured by Unilabor has a wood structure with fabr...
Wood, Fabric
Set of Four Rosewood Chairs Model 4015 by Geraldo de Barros, Unilabor, 1960
By Geraldo de Barros
Located in New York, NY
This chair designed by Geraldo de Barros has a light structure in solid rosewood, a characteristic of Unilabor's production, which used fine shapes in its designs for better use of i...
Leather, Rosewood
Bench by Geraldo de Barros, 1956
By Geraldo de Barros
Located in Barcelona, ES
Bench Manufactured by Unilabor Brazil, 1956 Jacaranda wood, upholstery Measurements 190 cm x 93 cm x 79h cm 74,8 in x 36,61 in x 31,10h in Details Unique piece comissioned by priva...
Upholstery, Jacaranda
Gerardo de Barros 'Stool' 1956
By Geraldo de Barros
Located in Barcelona, ES
Geraldo de Barros Stool Manufactured by Unilabor Brasil, 1956 Iron, fabric upholstery and brass details Measurements 38cmx38cmx44hcm 14,9 in x 14,9 in x 17,32h in Literature Unilab...
Brass, Iron
$24,061 / set
Pair of chairs by Geraldo De Barros
By Geraldo de Barros
Located in Barcelona, ES
Pair of chairs Manufactured by Unilabor Brazil, 1955 Iron, fabric upholstered Measurements 40 cm x 43 cm x 82h cm 15,78 in x 16,9 in x 32,28h in Literature Unilabor, by Mauro Claro...
Iron