Sergio Rodrigues is one of Brazil’s most important designers. In the 1940s, when Brazilian architecture was gaining international recognition based on the work of pioneers like Oscar Niemeyer and Lúcio Costa, Rodrigues identified a disparity between the architecture with its modern and bold style and the furniture used for the interiors. “Colonial style furniture or imported pieces were being used. The national identity that we had achieved in architecture was missing in our furniture design” SR.
He then created a completely innovative language for the aesthetic and formal standards of the time, rooted in the culture and a national identity, rejecting formalism while emphasizing comfort and informality. His Brazilian roots are also revealed in the choice of materials, mainly wood, Brazil’s most prized raw material, harvested in the world’s largest tropical forest; in addition to other traditional materials like leather and wicker.
Major awards and participation in exhibits and shows
Some of the international awards and exhibits include:
• First place at the IV Concorso Internazionale del Móbile, in Cantu, Italy, in 1961, with the “Poltrona Mole” (Sheriff Chair) and third place with the “Cadeira Cantu” in the same competition;
• The Lapiz de Plata award – for his complete works – at the Bienal de Arquitetura de Buenos Aires (1982);
• Award granted by Brazil’s Architecture Institute (I.A.B.) with the “Poltrona KILIN”
• THE MUSEUM OF MODERN ART NEW YORK – MoMA DESIGN — Fiesp in Sao Paulo
• First place at the 20th Concurso do Museu da Casa Brasileira with the “Poltrona Diz” (2006);
• Participation in the Convegno Brasile 93, La Costruzione de una Identità Culturale exhibit in Brescia, Italy – together with Lucio Costa and Zanine Caldas;
• Participation in the exhibit “The Saved Nest” 2006, Rio de Janeiro;
Biographical and historical timeline
1927 – Born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil;
1951 – Hired by the Parana state government for a major architectural project;
1952 – Graduated in architecture in Rio de Janeiro;
1953/54 – Opens a furniture store with Italian designers, the first art and modern furniture store in Curitiba (capital of the Parana state) and soon after, was appointed a management position at the project department in interior design at Forma S/A in Sao Paulo;
1950/60 – Construction of the new Brazilian capital, Brasilia;
1950 /70 – Period of intense creativity and innovation in the arts in Brazil, which includes Bossa Nova, Tropicalia and new trends in Brazilian Cinema;
1955 – Sergio Rodrigues opens the store “OCA” (‘hut’ in the Brazilian indigenous native language) in Ipanema, Rio de Janeiro: an alternative space and an innovative concept for a design and furniture store;
1956/58 – Provides consulting services (projects and studies) for renowned Brazilian architects and creates classic pieces like the “Lucio Chair” and the “Oscar Niemeyer Armchair”; sketches the first studies for the interior design of Brazil’s National House of Representatives invited by Niemeyer;
1959/60 –Studies for SR_, a system of prefabricated modules made of wood; interior design projects for Brazil’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the headquarters of several ministries in Brasilia and the Brazilian embassy in Rome, the Dória Pamphilii Palace, in addition to the Vatican and the Brazilian consulate in Rome;
1969/79 – Interior and furniture design projects for houses, hotels and offices in Brasilia and Sao Paulo; opens the company Sergio Rodrigues Arquitetura; creation of furniture lines for industrial production;
1980/89 – Furniture and interior design projects for hotels, restaurants and houses in several Brazilian states;
1990/98 – Participation in exhibits all over Brazil including Bienal de Arquitetura in Sao Paulo; projects for houses and cottages using the SR_ system;
2000/06 – The Sergio Rodrigues Furniture Line is back on the market. LinBrasil, headquartered in Curitiba, has an exclusive license to edit, produce and sell the line in Brazil and internationally; furniture exhibits in the United States and Brazil; articles in specialized magazines that underscore the importance of this great Brazilian designer.
Globalization tends to homogenize international design. A concept created in a country with a tradition in design, becomes a universal trend.
In my personal field – interior and furniture design – trying to “interpret” these trends interferes with my creativity.
May we all be trendsetters so that our design has characteristics that give it an identity as a Brazilian product to achieve recognition just as our architecture was acclaimed in the early 1940s.
