The Carpenters Workshop Gallery in Paris is showing 10 new designs by Humberto and Fernando Campana, including a table created using traditional marquetry techniques and an armchair made out of furry eyes (+ slideshow).
Focussing on traditional craftsmanship, the Manufatura exhibition features several new collections by the Brazilian design duo, as well as a partnership with Italian fashion brand Fendi.
The Detonado series features a shelf, table and sideboard made from sucupira wood – often used in Brazil – and reclaimed wicker, taken from Thonet chairs. The pieces were woven at the brothers' São Paulo studio by a local artist.
"Our initial inspiration was the desire to mix the characteristic stringing of tennis racquets with the process of caning (weaving chair seats) typical of the Portuguese and Brazilian furniture at the end of the 19th and 20th century," said the pair, who have also designed furniture based on Brazilian bandits' clothing.
Also on display is a cast bronze table and mirror, made from twisting ropes of metal that resemble the scaly bodies of snakes. The furniture is named Ofidia – which means snake in Portuguese – as a reference to this.
"We wanted to concentrate on the creation process of the piece, the solidification of the rope with the help of cast bronze," said the duo.
The Bolotas series includes an armchair and sofa covered in soft bundles of brown sheepskin, designed to create a "nest" effect, while the Animal Center table features traditional straw marquetry techniques, placed on a brass tube framework.
The Armchair of a Thousand Eyes – created in partnership with Fendi – is also being shown for the first time in Paris. Reminiscent of their iconic Cartoon Chairs, it comprises multicoloured tufts of fur decorated with "eyes" and set on gilded brass legs.
"With Manufatura, Carpenters Workshop Gallery proposes an in-depth look at the prolific universe of the Campana brothers, through the presentation of 10 new exceptional works and a warm and energetic scenography celebrating the generosity and wealth of the multiple influences of the Brazilian culture," said the gallery.
The Campanas have worked together since 1983, creating objects that bridge the worlds of art and design. They are best known for their use of unusual materials to create furniture and installations, including soft toys and ropes, like for the 1997 Vermelha Chair.
The Manufatura exhibition opens at the Paris gallery on 1 April 2016 and continues until 22 May 2016.
Currently on display at the Carpenters Gallery Workshop in New York is an exhibition of Dutch designer Martin Baas' latest furniture collection Carapace, which is based on the shells of turtles and beetles.
Photography courtesy of Estudio Campana, unless otherwise stated.