ESPASSO NY just received several stunning vintage pieces from Brazil! Included are a much sought after pair of Martin Eisler’s Costela armchairs, 1955, armchairs by Percival Lafer, ca. 1960, a pair of Jean Gillon’s incredible Amazonas armchairs, 1960, amidst several other one-of-a-kind, mid-century gems. Desirable for their uniqueness and historical relevance, ESPASSO continues to bring to the US the legacy of Brazilian modernism through original furniture pieces by some of Brazil’s most celebrated designers.
Martin Eisler (1913-1977) was an Austrian designer and architect who moved to South America in the late 1940’s, basing his practice out of Brazil from the 1950’s on, where he collaborated with the design company Forma to produce some of the most distinguishable furniture at the height of mid-century modernism in Brazil.
Percival Lafer came from a lineage of furniture designers, as he took over his family furniture company, the seminal Lafer and Co., in the 1960’s. His designs were always evident of innovation, as Lafer was known to apply state-of-the-art techniques to his stylish furniture design.
Romanian born Jean Gillon (1919 – 2007) immigrated to Brazil in 1956 where he identified local materials and techniques to expand his vocabulary as a designer. Gillon’s Jangada and Amazonas armchairs, while riffing on the materials and techniques of Brazilian fishermen, epitomizes the aesthetics of Brazilian modernism.
