Arquivo Contemporaneo: Guest Post Jorge Soares

I won't always introduce Jorge but wanted to just quick say a couple of things. One being that I think these posts are best suited for Friday's don't you? A little bit of tropical warmth to take you into the weekend. So that is where you will see them from here on out. And two, oh dear lord, how I love chairs. Especially of the Brazilian variety.  We don't have access to knowledge of many Brazilian designers or design for that matter up here in the Northern Hemisphere so that makes this post extra special. I even had to look up several designers. Thank-you Jorge for the design lesson. xo



João Caetano just opened a second Arquivo Contemporâneo shop. He is a renaissance man with a twinkle in his eyes - a cardiologyst, a musician, a lover of good design, a storyteller, one of the people that makes Rio more interesting. He pays a lot of attention to Brazilian design and now, since the new shop is in walking distance from me, I can just stroll by to check things out. This time it was all about chairs.

the handwriting is on the wall:" Arquivo Contemporaneo represents the best of Brazilian design," signed by Sergio Rodrigues. Two of his "Parati" chairs (1963)



Top photo: More Sergio Rodrigues: Poltrona Mole (mole means soft) aka Sheriff lounge chair (1957) that made him internationally famous. 

Bottom Photos: Gisele by Aristeu Pires (2003) Kilin armchair (1973). Diz armchair (2001) born a star. both by Sergio Rodrigues. What can I say. The man is a living legend.

(quick comment: Kelly here just interrupting this gorgeous post to say I have never seen the Sheriff chair in Denim and there is just something so right about that choice of material. Love it. And for those that don't know I think the Poltrona Mole is Brazil's equivalent to the Eames Lounge Chair, only I might add that I think it is a better success at the modern lounge chair as I could see a very large man resting in that chair and I know for a fact that some large men that have plopped into an Eames Lounge have sent it smashing all over the floor. )



3 Cordame chairs by Eduardo Baroni



Top three photos: Paulistano chair by Paulo Mendes da Rocha, 2 FDC1 chairs by Flavio de Carvalho designed in the fifties, Tupi chair by Leonardo Lattavo and Pedro Moog

Bottom photo: São Conrado and Guaiuba chairs by Carlos Motta This is the tip of the iceberg. By my calculations, it will take me about 2 years to get to the lovely Campana Brothers.

*All photos by Jorge Soares