Going for a Brazilian: Ambiente 2020

At Ambiente 2020 from 7 to 11 February, visitors can look forward to an exciting innovation: Under the motto ‘Focus on Design’, the Frankfurt fair will provide five design studios with a stage on which to present themselves and their work to an international audience. The selection of designers has a country-specific focus – starting with protagonists from the design scene in Brazil. In Gallery 1, they will present their creations and in so doing, also show their own creative language. At the Talents area in Hall 8.0, young Brazilian designers will be showing their unique, handmade pieces as well as small series’.

Nicolette Naumann, Vice President of Ambiente, commented on the new special presentation: ‘With Focus on Design, we are paying tribute to an important and perhaps still somewhat unknown design nation. In 2020, we will start with Brazil, whose art, architecture and design scene has had an influence on the avant-garde since the 1960s, but is above all known to professionals. This is where Ambiente, the world's leading international trade fair, comes in – we use our global platform to make Brazilian design, in all its facets, better known internationally.’

The selection of young Brazilian designers is impressive, because each of them has a very unique stylistic approach that at the same time reflects the great creativity that is typical of Brazil. But who are the lucky five?

Let's start with the RAIN design studio, founded by architect Ricardo Innecco and product designer Mariana Ramos. They were born in Brasilia and both studied there – a city that is known worldwide for its spectacular urban designs by architect Oscar Niemeyer. In 2012, they moved to São Paulo, where they gained experience in various architecture and design studios. Since 2015, Innecco and Ramos have been designing furniture, lighting and accessories together under the name RAIN. The studio produces and markets its own pieces and collaborates with Brazilian and international design shops and galleries.

Bianca Barbato, on the other hand, has found her way into design as an autodidact: Her furniture and objects are characterized by great originality. She brings out some designs as limited editions while others are industrially produced in larger quantities. She draws her influences and inspirations from past design epochs – but transforms them into something new and playful. Bianca was born in São Paulo in 1978 and opened her studio in Rio de Janeiro in 2008. Today she lives in São Paulo again and distributes her products throughout Brazil, taking part in exhibitions and presenting new collections at national and international design fairs every year.

Next, we come to Brunno Jahara: he grew up in Rio de Janeiro, studied industrial design at university there, before moving to Italy to study at the Venice University of Architecture and work for Fabrica for two years. Today, Jahara is one of the shooting stars of the Brazilian design scene: his products and furniture, often decorated with subtle ornaments, contribute to giving his home country an outstanding design identity.

The object designer Rodrigo Almeida has also developed an independent design vocabulary: He plays with perforations and combines different textures, colours and materials to create surprising pieces of furniture and objects with great artistic power. Almeida is currently working on a sanitary collection for a Brazilian manufacturer.

Last but not least, Sérgio J. Matos will also present himself at the upcoming Ambiente. He designs furniture and home accessories with clearly recognisable Brazilian roots, using traditional techniques and knowledge in their production. With his original objects, often handcrafted, he breaks new ground. Since Matos opened his studios in 2010, he has been awarded numerous national and international prizes.

On the Sunday of the fair from 1:15 in the afternoon, you will have the opportunity to get to know the five designers and design studios. In a panel discussion, they will discuss the subject of ‘Design in Brazil’ at the Ambiente Academy in Hall 9.1.

© Architonic