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 bar cart Unilabor Brazil 1955
By Geraldo de Barros
Located in Roosendaal, Noord Brabant
Rare and minimalist bar cart designed by Geraldo de Barros and manufactured by Unilabor in Brazil, 1955. This bar cart is made from a minimalistic structure of a tubular steel frame ...
Metal
Brass and Steel Bar Cart
By Maison Jansen
Located in Miami, FL
Vintage Mid-Century Modern four-tier rolling serving trolley in the style of Maison Jansen. Elegant Neoclassical brass medallion accented frame with two floating clear glass shelves....
Brass, Steel
$14,700 / item
H 27.56 in W 17.72 in D 45.28 in
Bar Cart in Tropical Brazilian Hardwood, Contemporary Design
By Rahyja Afrange
Located in Sao Paulo, SP
This tea cart or bar cart made of tropical Brazilian hardwood evokes the ancient ritual of making tea, which endures as one of the few things we can...
Brass
$16,000
H 30 in W 71 in D 31 in
Brazilian Modern Six-Drawer Rosewood & Iron Desk by Geraldo de Barros, 1950s
By Geraldo de Barros
Located in New York, NY
A structurally confident Brazilian Modern desk attributed to Geraldo de Barros, executed in solid rosewood and veneer with a minimalist black iron frame. The rectangular top floats a...
Hardwood
Route Brown Bar Cart
By Enrico Pellizzoni
Located in Milan, IT
Impress guests with this charming and functional bar cart that perfectly displays your favorite drinks and glassware during formal dinners and parties. Supported by a slender metal frame with a bronze painted finish, the two oval shelves...
Wood
$5,500
H 21.3 in W 29.1 in D 14 in
Geraldo de Barros for Unilabor Bar Cart in Jacaranda & Hardwood, Brazil, 1960s
By Geraldo de Barros
Located in New York, NY
A refined example of Brazilian modernist functionalism, this two-tier bar cart—also known as a tea trolley—was designed by Geraldo de Barros for Unilabor in the 1960s. Executed in so...
Metal
Route Black Bar Cart
By Enrico Pellizzoni
Located in Milan, IT
A stylish must-have for entertaining events, this cart is equipped with front and back wheels for easy transportation but works equally well as a static statement topped...
Metal
Midcentury McGuire Faux Bamboo Bar Cart
By McGuire
Located in Palm Beach, FL
Dynamic faux bamboo bar cart with well grained oak panels, reed wrapped corners, finished all around, recessed casters and slide out service space. Signed McGuire in the drawer.
Reed, Oak
Edward Wormley Bar Cart for Dunbar
By Edward Wormley, Dunbar Furniture
Located in Brooklyn, NY
This unique midcentury bar cart features a unique sliding slate style top that expands to 62 inches wide to reveal locking side cabinet. Additional storage in drawer and open adjusta...
Walnut
Mid-Century Modern Tea Cart by Geraldo de Barros, 1950s
By Geraldo de Barros, Unilabor
Located in Deerfield Beach, FL
Mid-Century Modern Tea Cart by Geraldo de Barros, 1950s Geraldo de Barros crafted an ingenious tea cart featuring a unique four-level structure. Made of wood with Formica tops, this compact cart stands out with two larger levels at the top and bottom, and two smaller intermediary levels providing essential support. The tea cart's tiered design serves both aesthetic and practical purposes. The combination of wood and Formica showcases a harmonious blend of classic warmth and modern sleekness. The Formica tops, in addition to their contemporary appeal, offer a functional, easy-to-clean surface, enhancing the cart's durability and usability. Practicality meets style as the larger top level provides space for teapots and cups...
Metal
$13,600
H 29.5 in W 66.9 in D 35.4 in
Geraldo de Barros “Torm” Conference Dining Table in Chrome & Rosewood, Brazil
By Geraldo de Barros
Located in New York, NY
A masterwork of Brazilian modernism, this rare Torm conference dining table by Geraldo de Barros exemplifies the disciplined geometry and material boldness that defined progressive B...
Chrome
$6,500
H 29.5 in W 22.4 in D 16.9 in
Brazilian Modern Side Table in Metal, Hardwood & Formica, Geraldo de Barros 1950
By Geraldo de Barros
Located in New York, NY
A refined study in contrast and proportion, this side table balances a warm timber volume within a slender blackened metal frame. The composition is architecturally resolved: a recti...
Metal
$10,500 / set
H 29 in W 43 in D 20 in
Brazilian Mid-century Desk with Armchair, Geraldo de Barros for Unilabor, 1950s
By Geraldo de Barros
Located in New York, NY
Designed by Geraldo de Barros (1923–1998), this desk and matching chair exemplify the designer’s disciplined approach to structure and material within Brazilian modernism. Closely al...
Metal