Brazilian furniture designers the Campana Brothers have launched a new collection of furniture that celebrates the vibrancy of Brazilian culture. Inspired by the Cangaço, a nomadic group of bandits who roamed the Northeast of Brazil in the 19th and early 20th century, the collection features intricate leatherwork in the folk-style of the hats, boots and vests worn by the outlaws.
Designed in collaboration with São Paulo gallery Firma Casa, Fernando and Humberto Campana produced the Cangaço Collection hand-in-hand with the most renowned leather craftsman in Brazil, Espedito Seleiro.
Espedito comes from a family of traditional saddlers and cowboys that have been crafting leather for generations. In this limited collection, the craftsman pays homage to his roots, using clever colour combinations and intricate carving.
“Two different rural or back land regions from the same country have come together,” Humberto told ArchiPanic. “We have always made a point of showing where we come from. Our design tells a story. That goes for Espedito’s creations too. That’s why the fusion was so interesting.”
Once the metal, wicker and wood skeleton structures were complete, the Campana Brothers sent the pieces to Espedito’s workshop in Nova Olinda, Ceará where the craftsman manually covered them with colourful leather cutouts, shapes and outlines.
Shape, colour, texture and form are integral elements in the Campana Brothers design aesthetic and the Cangaço Collection is no different. The five-piece collection, which blends wood, straw, silver and leather, comprises a chair, an armchair, a bookshelf, a cabinet and a mirror.
Firma Casa and the Campana Brothers debuted the Cangaço Collection at Design Miami.
