Brazilian Lighting
More often than not, vintage mid-century Brazilian furniture designs, with their gleaming wood, soft leathers and inviting shapes, share a sensuous, unique quality that distinguishes them from the more rectilinear output of American and Scandinavian makers of the same era.
Commencing in the 1940s and '50s, a group of architects and designers transformed the local cultural landscape in Brazil, merging the modernist vernacular popular in Europe and the United States with the South American country's traditional techniques and indigenous materials.
Key mid-century influencers on Brazilian furniture design include natives Oscar Niemeyer, Sergio Rodrigues and José Zanine Caldas as well as such European immigrants as Joaquim Tenreiro, Jean Gillon and Jorge Zalszupin. These creators frequently collaborated; for instance, Niemeyer, an internationally acclaimed architect, commissioned many of them to furnish his residential and institutional buildings.
The popularity of Brazilian modern furniture has made household names of these designers and other greats. Their particular brand of modernism is characterized by an émigré point of view (some were Lithuanian, German, Polish, Ukrainian, Portuguese, and Italian), a preference for highly figured indigenous Brazilian woods, a reverence for nature as an inspiration and an atelier or small-production mentality.
Hallmarks of Brazilian mid-century design include smooth, sculptural forms and the use of native woods like rosewood, jacaranda and pequi. The work of designers today exhibits many of the same qualities, though with a marked interest in exploring new materials (witness the Campana Brothers' stuffed-animal chairs) and an emphasis on looking inward rather than to other countries for inspiration.
Find a collection of vintage Brazilian furniture on 1stDibs that includes chairs, sofas, tables and more.
2010s Minimalist Brazilian Lighting
Metal, Bronze
2010s Modern Brazilian Lighting
Bronze
2010s Other Brazilian Lighting
Reclaimed Wood, Feathers
2010s International Style Brazilian Lighting
Aluminum, Brass
2010s Organic Modern Brazilian Lighting
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Brazilian Lighting
Rock Crystal
2010s Modern Brazilian Lighting
Wood
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Brazilian Lighting
Metal, Brass
Early 20th Century Modern Brazilian Lighting
Rock Crystal, Brass
2010s Minimalist Brazilian Lighting
Steel
2010s Modern Brazilian Lighting
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Other Brazilian Lighting
Wood
2010s International Style Brazilian Lighting
Aluminum
2010s International Style Brazilian Lighting
Aluminum
21st Century and Contemporary Brazilian Lighting
Rock Crystal
2010s International Style Brazilian Lighting
Aluminum, Brass
2010s Modern Brazilian Lighting
Brass, Steel, Magnets
2010s Post-Modern Brazilian Lighting
Glass
2010s Modern Brazilian Lighting
Wood
2010s Modern Brazilian Lighting
Brass, Steel
2010s International Style Brazilian Lighting
Aluminum, Chrome
2010s International Style Brazilian Lighting
Aluminum, Chrome
2010s International Style Brazilian Lighting
Aluminum
2010s International Style Brazilian Lighting
Aluminum
2010s Brazilian Lighting
Steel
20th Century Modern Brazilian Lighting
Rock Crystal
2010s Modern Brazilian Lighting
Bronze
2010s International Style Brazilian Lighting
Aluminum
2010s Brutalist Brazilian Lighting
Resin
21st Century and Contemporary Modern Brazilian Lighting
Aluminum
2010s Brutalist Brazilian Lighting
Brass
2010s International Style Brazilian Lighting
Stainless Steel
2010s International Style Brazilian Lighting
Stainless Steel
2010s Modern Brazilian Lighting
Wood
2010s Brutalist Brazilian Lighting
Brass
2010s Modern Brazilian Lighting
Wood
2010s International Style Brazilian Lighting
Aluminum, Brass
2010s International Style Brazilian Lighting
Aluminum
2010s Other Brazilian Lighting
Quartz
20th Century Modern Brazilian Lighting
Rock Crystal, Brass
2010s International Style Brazilian Lighting
Aluminum
2010s Modern Brazilian Lighting
Brass
2010s International Style Brazilian Lighting
Wood
2010s Brutalist Brazilian Lighting
Aluminum
2010s Other Brazilian Lighting
Quartz
2010s Modern Brazilian Lighting
Brass
2010s International Style Brazilian Lighting
Chrome
2010s International Style Brazilian Lighting
Aluminum
2010s Brutalist Brazilian Lighting
Brass
2010s Minimalist Brazilian Lighting
Carrara Marble, Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Brazilian Lighting
Stainless Steel
2010s Other Brazilian Lighting
Quartz
21st Century and Contemporary Modern Brazilian Lighting
Metal
21st Century and Contemporary Brazilian Lighting
Stainless Steel
21st Century and Contemporary Brazilian Lighting
Stainless Steel
2010s Rustic Brazilian Lighting
Wool
21st Century and Contemporary Modern Brazilian Lighting
Metal
2010s Modern Brazilian Lighting
Bronze
Read More
You Don’t Need a Fictional Fairy to Get This Real Pinocchio Lamp
Warm chalet style meets cool Bauhaus functionality in Pietro Cascella’s cleverly carved creation.
Why Is Italy Such a Hotbed of Cool Design?
Patrizio Chiarparini of Brooklyn’s Duplex gallery sheds light on the lasting legacy of Italy’s postwar furniture boom.
With a High-Tech Flagship and Cool Collabs, Lladró Is Breaking the Mold for Porcelain Production
Thanks to its new leadership, the Spanish maker of figurines, busts and lighting is on a mission to update the art of porcelain for the 21st century.
Christopher Tennant’s Lamps and Dioramas Evoke Sunny Days and Seaside Locales
The former magazine editor blends elements of the Far East and America’s eastern shores, bringing wit and delight to his handmade, upcycled designs.
Paavo Tynell’s Snowflake Chandelier Warms Up Any Room
This circa 1950 piece by the legendary Finnish lighting designer spent the past several decades in a family's home in Michigan.
NASA Parachutes Inspired Lighting Designer Bec Brittain’s New Collection
In "Paraciphers," now on view at Emma Scully Gallery in New York, Brittain introduces works that were more than a decade in the making.
This Handsome Leather Pendant Light Is Crafted Using Saddle-Making Techniques
The Doma by L’Aviva Home nods to Colombia’s equestrian heritage.
Celebrate Spring Year-Round with This Lush Murano-Glass Chandelier
Hand-blown glass makes the Italian fixture glow like dew-covered leaves in the sun.