Today (Friday, May 15th, from 10am–12pm), on the occasion of New York Design Week 2026, ESPASSO will host a brunch and conversation dedicated to visionary Lina Bo Bardi.
Moderated by Hannah Martin, Senior Editor at @archdigest , the talk will bring together Thiago Gomide (Founder @gomide.co ), Lissa Carmona (CEO @etel.design ), and João Ferraz (CEO @marcenaria.barauna ), in a discussion that reflects on her enduring relevance, and in particular, a selection of furniture designs conceived between 1945 and 1960.
This video, produced by Gomide&Co as part of their presentation for TEFAF New York 2026, is connected to a project in which furniture designs by Lina Bo Bardi are presented in dialogue with paintings by Brazilian modernist artist Lorenzato.
Featured in the video and talk, the Girafa chair emerged in the late 1980s through a collaboration between Lina Bo Bardi, Marcelo Ferraz, and Marcelo Suzuki, within the context of projects developed in Salvador, including for the restaurant at Casa do Benin. Conceived in 1986, the piece inaugurated the so-called Girafa line, later unfolded into different typologies produced by @marcenaria.barauna .
📹 Erika Mayumi
#LinaBoBardi #TEFAFNewYork2026 #NYDW2026
ESPASSO presents an exhibition on Martin Eisler and Michel Arnoult's involvement in a foundational moment in mid-century Brazilian design.
Martin Eisler and Michel Arnoult, both Jewish European immigrants who arrived in Brazil in the mid-20th century, made parallel attempts to redefine furniture production at a moment when its industrial and cultural infrastructures were beginning to take shape.
Central to the formation of Brazilian design as a formal field and practice, their work reflects a period in which migration, industry, and design converged to reshape how furniture, and ways of living, responded to a rapidly modernizing society.
Open for public visits:
May 15th-22nd
10am-6pm
38 N Moore St
New York
ESPASSO and VERSO are proud to present CONNECTIONS ACROSS TIME: DUALDE CORNELSEN, an exhibition bringing together works by designer Pali Xisto Cornelsen and architect Lucas Jimeno Dualde, alongside a parallel body of work developed by Cornelsen in close collaboration with his father, artist Jejo Cornelsen.
Through furniture, objects, and artistic dialogue, the exhibition explores continuity across generations, disciplines, and forms of making.
CONNECTIONS ACROSS TIME is a new collaborative program celebrating the shared history of ESPASSO and VERSO.
Opening Reception
Thursday, May 14th
6 — 10 PM
ESPASSO
38 N Moore St
New York, NY 10013
In honor of what would have been José Zanine Caldas’ 107th birthday this weekend, we are sharing a little bit about the remarkable architect-designer-sculptor. In reflecting on his story, we have collected images of Caldas and his multi-scalar one-of-a-kind works, rooted in their environment. More than objects and spaces, his practice stood as a position: commitment to process, and to working with nature rather than against it.
Photos via @institutozaninecaldas & @eliseucavalcante
#josezaninecaldas
Welcoming the season for lush and open settings, where architecture gives way to landscape and living extends beyond walls.
Casa Taguaíba, designed by @memola.estudio and @penha.vitor in Guarujá, São Paulo, embodies this shift. Conceived as a low-impact beach house with minimal demolition, the project draws from a “caiçara” language, rooted in the traditions of Brazil’s coastal communities and bringing its residents into closer dialogue with nature and memory. Featured on the cover of @casavoguebrasil , the house forms part of a broader reflection on more sustainable ways of living.
Within this setting, the Taja Armchair by Sergio Rodrigues (1978) appears as both structure and gesture. Its solid wood frame and signature circular cut-outs lend a sculptural presence that remains grounded and unpretentious.
Photographed by @franparente
Featured here are iconic Brazilian mid-century armchairs and chairs that reflect European design influences of the time, with a strong sense of Brazilian identity.
European modernism emphasized structural logic, industrial clarity, and rational construction. When these ideas arrived in Brazil in the mid-20th century, including through European designers who immigrated to and became naturalized in Brazil, they adopted the discipline of modernist structure, but adapted it to a very different context: tropical climate, abundant hardwoods, craft traditions, and a culture that valued informality and comfort.
-Mole Lounge Armchair by Sergio Rodrigues, 1961 | reissued @linbrasilsr
-GS Dining Chairs by Giuseppe Scapinelli, 1950 | Reissued by @etel.design
-Paulistana Lounge Armchair by Jorge Zalszupin, 1960 | Reissued by @etel.design
-Dinamarquesa Lounge Armchair by Jorge Zalszupin, 1959 | Reissued by @etel.design
Photos by @macarios@eliseucavalcante
#modernism #espasso #interiordesign #design #homedecor #interiordecor #style #architecture #interiordesigner #furniture #inspiration #designer #braziliandesign #modernfurniture #collectibledesign #minimalist #archdaily #architecturelovers #midcenturystyle #midcenturydesign #modern #architectural #architecturedaily #architecturelover
The furniture company Branco & Preto was set up in 1952 by forward-thinking architects Miguel Forte, Jacob Ruchti, Plinio Groce, Roberta Aflalo, Carlos Millan and Che Y Hwa. In the 1940s, after graduating as architects from Mackenzie University, they sought furniture suitable for their practices; the group of friends pursued Aflalo's idea to open a store that sold modern designs.
Collectively they have produced some of Brazil's most significant furniture, developed as part of their individual architectural designs. The pieces are finished to the highest quality in Brazilian native woods and materials.
Featured pieces, reissued by @etel.design :
1. MR7 Lounge Armchair, MF5 Lounge Armchair, M1 Lounge Armchair
2. M1 Lounge Armchair
3. MF5 Lounge Armchair
4. R3 Lounge Armchair
5. Palhinha Dining Chairs
Scenes from Outdoor Living
As the weather gets warmer and life begins to move outdoors, we have the opportunity to do so with intention and style.
We bring you a selection that translates a single idea into different forms: recliner, lounge, rocking, all of them attuned to a slower rhythm of living.
Whether by the beach, in the mountains, or closer to the city, these pieces adapt with ease and comfort.
Featured here, a selection by Carlos Motta:
1. Asturias Reclining Chaise
2. Timbó Armchair
3. Rio Manso Lounge Chair
4. Timbó Chaise
5. Asturias Lounge Chair
6–7. Asturias Rocking Chair
Photos by Ruy Teixeira and Eliseu Cavalcante.
One of Ricardo Fasanello’s defining early works, the “Fardos” lounge chair is composed of three large foam rolls held together by straps. It's an exploration of volume, softness, and structure without a traditional frame.
Designed in 1971 and first presented at furniture exhibitions in Paris and Berlin, the piece reflects a moment of experimentation with industrial materials and new forms of comfort. It continues to be produced in Brazil by the Ricardo Fasanello Atelier.
More recently, the Fardos chair appears in Severance (Season 2, Episode 6), within Milchick’s office: an unexpected presence in the show’s controlled, minimalist world.
@ateliericardofasanello
@appletv
#art #brazilianartists #artists #curatorial #brazil #homedecor #architecture #furniture #inspiration #designer #braziliandesign #midcenturyfurniture #archdaily #architecturedaily
Vilma Eid is a curator, merchant, and founder of Galeria Estação. Her work has been instrumental in discovering and championing Brazilian self-taught artists, contributing to the broader recognition of what is often referred to as “outsider art.”
As we celebrate Women’s Month, she stands as a woman to admire and an influential force redefining how art and authorship are understood.
Through her curatorial vision, artists like Véio and Higo José have gained visibility beyond local contexts, entering wider cultural and institutional conversations. These artists are among the myriad of creatives she has helped place in dialogue with museums and curatorial discourse, helping shift them from “folk craft” into the realm of contemporary and historical art.
@vilmaeid
@galeriaestacao
Photos by @eliseucavalcante@ruy_teixeira @scottymacphoto@ryancsides
#internationalwomensmonth #womensmonth #vilmaeid #art #brazilianartists #artists #curatorial #brazil #homedecor #architecture #furniture #inspiration #designer #braziliandesign #midcenturyfurniture #archdaily #architecturedaily
