Incollect Magazine - Issue 3

Incollect Magazine 83 2022 I can’t live well with too much rigidity. The 90-degree angle, for example, is something I love, but I can’t do it. The things I do end up being a little lyrical, a little sensual, in short, there is always an element that does not come from purity or cleanliness.” — Jorge Zalszupin Right: Designed in 1959 by Jorge Zalszupin, the “Carrinho de Cha” tea trolly/bar cart was inspired by the 3-wheeled baby buggies Zalszupin saw in his native Poland. The diminutive ball foot and oversized polished brass wheels are strongly contrasted in size, but balanced in appearance, owing to the delicacy of the open wheel design with only four spokes. The distinctive triangular sides of the bottom tray add to the fluid, aerodynamic feel of the piece. Photo courtesy Adesso. Below: Designed by the visionary architect of modern Brazil, Oscar Neimeyer, a three seat sofa in Brazilian Rosewood veneer with upholstered cushions was designed circa 1990; available from Jeff Lincoln Art + Design. This focus on local materials, especially exotic tropical woods, led to the creation of a unique national modern style that is unmistakably Brazilian, and also cannot be easily replicated. says Brazilian-born New York-based interior designer Andre Mellone (Studio Mellone) whose father, Oswaldo, is a distinguished Brazilian designer who kept company with Rodrigues and Zalszupin. “It gave a richer, softer, soulful feel to pieces and allowed for the creation of an original set of finishes in veneers or in solid wood that gave the work an identifiable Brazilianness,” he says. The tropical woods include Canvanuva, Jacaranda (Brazilian Rosewood) and Pau Ferro (Ironwood). Most nations worldwide have banned cutting, exporting or importing of Brazilian rosewood harvested after 1992, and that includes furniture made from rosewood. Peter Blake, who deals in this material from his gallery in California, points out that the restrictions on the import and export of rosewood and other exotic Brazilian rare woods used in mid-century furniture construction make it difficult to source high-end material these days — pushing the prices higher. With no more furniture in rosewood being made, the market is therefore limited to the existing purely historical design objects.