Vermelha Chair by Fernando and Humberto Campana Circa 1999

Vermelha Chair by Fernando and Humberto Campana Circa 1999

Magnificent Vermelha Chair by Fernando and Humberto Campana 1999, the chair finished with 500 meters of silver rope on an epoxy coated aluminium frame, the Vermelha lounge chair is included in the permanent collections of several museums including New York's Museum of Modern Art and Cooper-Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum, reserve now.

Background Vermelha: Made of iron, aluminium, and rope, the Vermelha Chair was inspired by materials and traditions of Brazilian weaving. Thread was intertwined to form the ropes, which were then hand-woven into upholstery. “We always say that first comes the material, then the form, and finally we elaborate the function of the product by studying its ergonomics, limitations, and capabilities,” explained Fernando and Humberto Campana, brothers and design partners. “The streets of São Paulo are a sort of laboratory for our designs. Whenever we need inspiration, we rely on the chaos and beauty of the city we live in.”

The woven loops of the Vermehla Chair may appear random, but in reality there is a structured method behind their chaotic appearance. This chair design incorporates techniques that are similar to weaving. Intertwined threads form the ropes, which are then hand-woven to form upholstery for the base of the chair, Five-hundred meters of silver cotton ropes were used to make the Vermehla Chair.

About: Fernando and Humberto Campana
Brothers, Fernando (born 1961) and Humberto (born 1953) founded Estudio Campana in 1983 and quickly established their voice in the contemporary design world for their use of untraditional materials. Exploring ideas of transformation and reinvention, the Campanas create intriguing forms using scraps of cloth and wood, plastic tubing, wires and stuffed animals. The Campanas have worked with a number of manufacturers including Alessi, Baccarat, Edra, Lacoste, Louis Vuitton, Magis and Venini, to name a few. In 2008 the brothers won Designer of the Year in Miami, in 2013 they were listed among the top 100 most influential Brazilian personalities by Forbes magazine and in 2014 Wallpaper* listed them among the top 100 major players in design. Special editions pieces by the Campanas can be found in the permanent collections of museums around the world including the Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris, the Museum of Modern Art, New York, and Musée Les Arts Décoratifs, Paris and the Museum of Modern Art in São Paulo.

The brothers purchased a large bunch of rope from a street stall and brought it back to their studio. They carefully studied the chaotic shape that the construction of the ropes formed when piled on a table. “At that moment we both looked at each other and almost simultaneously remarked, this is the chair we want to build. It is a representation of Brazil in its beautiful chaos and de-constructiveness.”

Although Fernando Campana is an architect and his brother Humberto studied law, the Campana brothers have become one of the most important and innovative product design teams working today. Their use of materials, in particular, has been a hallmark of their design practice. Often evoking the rich street-market culture of their native Brazil, they utilise quotidian products in unexpected ways, such as the use of cord to create opulent pile upholstery in the Vermelha chair.

Provenance: Acquired from the previous important collection in UK.