FERNANDO AND HUMBERTO CAMPANA
BIOGRAPHY
BIOGRAPHY
Inspired by Brazilian street life and carnival culture, the brothers combine found everyday objects - such as scraps of wood and furry toys - with advanced technology to create a vibrant, energetic and specifically Brazilian approach to design.
Their cues come from everyday scenarios and using unexpected combinations of found materials - such as rubber hose, tissue paper, string or fabrics -Fernando and Humberto Campana transform mundane materials into objects that celebrate the discarded and are instilled with the spirit of contemporary Brazil.
Neither of them intended to be a designer. Humberto, born in the Rio Claro area of São Paulo in 1953, originally studied law but began to design furniture in the mid 1980s after Fernando, born in Brotas in 1961, had completed his degree in architecture.
Central to their practice are the materials they use. The challenge, as the Campanas see it, is to transform something worthless into something worthwhile. In the Vermelha chair, they tie brilliantly colored cord through a metal frame while their Sushi chair transforms strips of brightly colored plastic and carpet underlay into decorative rolls, which then upholster a basic frame. This process of transformation has injected a new energy into contemporary design by presenting a bold, vibrant alternative to the rationalist ideals of the long dominant European modern movement.
Major institutions have embraced the brothers and their vibrant, energetic and specifically Brazilian approach to design with exhibitions such as the 2008 “Campana Brothers Select: Works from the Permanent Collections” at the Cooper Hewitt National Design Museum in New York, and “Campana Brothers in the Garden” at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London from 2007. Many of their works have become highlights at the world’s most important auction houses including sales such as Sotheby’s “Beyond the Limits” at Chatsworth House in Derbyshire England and Philips de Pury “Design” sale (December 2007), which achieved a new record at auction.
Their cues come from everyday scenarios and using unexpected combinations of found materials - such as rubber hose, tissue paper, string or fabrics -Fernando and Humberto Campana transform mundane materials into objects that celebrate the discarded and are instilled with the spirit of contemporary Brazil.
Neither of them intended to be a designer. Humberto, born in the Rio Claro area of São Paulo in 1953, originally studied law but began to design furniture in the mid 1980s after Fernando, born in Brotas in 1961, had completed his degree in architecture.
Central to their practice are the materials they use. The challenge, as the Campanas see it, is to transform something worthless into something worthwhile. In the Vermelha chair, they tie brilliantly colored cord through a metal frame while their Sushi chair transforms strips of brightly colored plastic and carpet underlay into decorative rolls, which then upholster a basic frame. This process of transformation has injected a new energy into contemporary design by presenting a bold, vibrant alternative to the rationalist ideals of the long dominant European modern movement.
Major institutions have embraced the brothers and their vibrant, energetic and specifically Brazilian approach to design with exhibitions such as the 2008 “Campana Brothers Select: Works from the Permanent Collections” at the Cooper Hewitt National Design Museum in New York, and “Campana Brothers in the Garden” at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London from 2007. Many of their works have become highlights at the world’s most important auction houses including sales such as Sotheby’s “Beyond the Limits” at Chatsworth House in Derbyshire England and Philips de Pury “Design” sale (December 2007), which achieved a new record at auction.
FERNANDO AND HUMBERTO CAMPANA
CV
Solo Exhibitions
2010 "Gloriette Pavilion" Veuve Clicquot, Milan, Italy and Reims, France
"Antibodies: The Works of Fernando & Humberto Campana 1989 - 2009" The NAiM/Bureau Europa; Maastricht, NL
"Multidao Chandelier" Waddesdon Manor, Contemporary Art and Design Gallery, Venice
2009 "Antibodies: The Works of Fernando & Humberto Campana 1989 - 2009" Vitra Design Museum; Weil am Rhein, Germany
2008 “Designer of the Year” Design Miami/2008; Miami, FL
“Campana Brothers Select: Works from the Permanent Collection” Cooper Hewitt National Design Museum. New York
Campana Workshop in Athens (for the Yes! Hotel in Athens), Albion Gallery; London
2007 “The Cartoon Chairs” Albion Gallery, London
“Campana Brothers in the Garden” John Madejski Garden, Victoria and Albert Museum, London
2006 “Historia Naturalis”, International Furniture Fair of Milan, Italy
“Historia Naturalis”, ICFF, New York
“Campane di Campana”, Moss Gallery, New York
“Campana Brothers”, Brazilian Embassy, Tokyo
2004 “Ideal House” – IMM Cologne 2004, Cologne
“Zest for Life”, Design Museum, London; Danish Design Centre, Copenhagen
2003 “Campanas”, Centro Cultural Banco do Brazil, Brazil; Firma Casa, Sao Paolo; Lisbon; Stockholm
2002 “Never Letting Poetry Escape”, Tel Aviv Museum of Art, Tel Aviv
2001 “Entre o Design e a Arte”, Museum of Modern Art, Sao Paolo
“Inventividade” Museum of Contemporary Art, Goiania, Brazil
1999 “Retrospectiva Campana”, Casa Franca Brasil, Rio de Janeiro
“Materias/Materiais, Museu de Arte Modernica da Bahia, Salvador
“Numeros”, Museu Brasileiro de Escultura, Sao Paulo
1996 “O Brazil faz Design”, Palazzo Reale, Milan; Museu da Casa Brasileira, Sao Paulo; Instituto dos Arquitetos do Brasil, Rio de Janeiro; Liceu de Artes e Oficios da Bahia, Salvador
1993 “Edicao 93”, Nucleon 8, Sao Paulo
1991“Esculturas”, Pinacoteca do Estado do Sao Paulo
1990 “Organicos”, Nucleon 8, Sao Paulo
1989 “Desconfortaveis”, A Arquitetura da Luz, Sao Paulo
Selected Group Exhibitions
2010 "Unexpected Guests: Yesterday’s homes, today’s design" The Museo Bagatti Valsecchi, Casa Boschi di Stefano, Villa Necchi Campiglio and the Museo Poldi Pezzoli are proud to present, in collaboration with Cosmit and the Culture Council of Milan; Milan Italy
"This That & Then Some" Moss and Thea Westreich, Independent Art Fair; New York
"Contemplating the Void" Guggenheim, New York
2009 U.F.O.: Blurring the Lines Bewteen Art and Design" NRW-Forum Kultur und Wirtschaft, Düsseldorf
"UpCycling: Recuperating Past Lives: Art, Design and the Reinterpretation of Materials". A+ D Museum Los Angeles
"Visual Delight: Ornament and Pattern in Modern and Contemporary Design" Philadelphia Museum of Art; Philadelphia
2006 “Il mondo do Italiano”, Museum of Modern Arts Montreal, Toronto, Canada
“Le mouvement des Images” Centre George Pompidou, Paris
2005 “Big Bang” Centre George Pompidou, Paris
New Acquisitions, MoMA, New York
“Swarm Exhibition”, The Fabric Workshop and Museum, Philadelphia
2003 “The Magic Chandelier at Crystal Palace”, Milan
“The One-Legged Milk Stool”, Design Museum Tank, London
“SOMEWHERE TOTALLY ELSE”, The European Design Show, Design Museum, London
2002 “Milan in a Van”, Victoria and Albert Museum, London
2000 “Blow Up” Vitra Design Museum, Berlin
1998 “Project 66” (with Ingo Mauer), The Museum of Modern Art, New York
Museum and Foundation Collections
Dallas Museum of Art - Pandas Chair
Cooper Hewitt-National Design Museum, New York , Trans...chair
Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo – Jenette Chair, Anenome Chair, Cone Armchair, Zig-Zag Stool
Museum of Modern Art, New York, Corallo Chair, Inflating Table, Vermelha Chair, Cone Chair
Montreal Fine Art Museum, Corallo Chair
Musee des Arts Decoratifs de Paris, Sushi
Museum of Design, Lausanne – Jeannette Chair
The Carnegie Museum of Art, Pittsburgh – Sculpture Screen
Pinakothek der Moderne, Munich – Vermelha Chair
Vitra Design Museum, Germany – Favela Chair
Centre George Pompidou, Paris – Favela Chair and Vermelha Chair
The Manchester Museum, Oxford –Favela Chair
Francisco Capelo Collection, Centro Cultural Behem, Portuagal – Vermelha Chair, Plastico Bolha Chair, Bambu Chair
Tel Aviv Museum of Art, Tel Aviv – Anenome Chair
Vitra Design Museum, Germany – Cardboard Chair, Garden Hose Chair
Museum of Modern Art Sao Paulo – Inflating Table
Museum of Decorative Art of Montreal – Inflating Table
Association Jaqueline Vodoz e Bruno Danese, Milan – Touch Pillow
CV
Solo Exhibitions
2010 "Gloriette Pavilion" Veuve Clicquot, Milan, Italy and Reims, France
"Antibodies: The Works of Fernando & Humberto Campana 1989 - 2009" The NAiM/Bureau Europa; Maastricht, NL
"Multidao Chandelier" Waddesdon Manor, Contemporary Art and Design Gallery, Venice
2009 "Antibodies: The Works of Fernando & Humberto Campana 1989 - 2009" Vitra Design Museum; Weil am Rhein, Germany
2008 “Designer of the Year” Design Miami/2008; Miami, FL
“Campana Brothers Select: Works from the Permanent Collection” Cooper Hewitt National Design Museum. New York
Campana Workshop in Athens (for the Yes! Hotel in Athens), Albion Gallery; London
2007 “The Cartoon Chairs” Albion Gallery, London
“Campana Brothers in the Garden” John Madejski Garden, Victoria and Albert Museum, London
2006 “Historia Naturalis”, International Furniture Fair of Milan, Italy
“Historia Naturalis”, ICFF, New York
“Campane di Campana”, Moss Gallery, New York
“Campana Brothers”, Brazilian Embassy, Tokyo
2004 “Ideal House” – IMM Cologne 2004, Cologne
“Zest for Life”, Design Museum, London; Danish Design Centre, Copenhagen
2003 “Campanas”, Centro Cultural Banco do Brazil, Brazil; Firma Casa, Sao Paolo; Lisbon; Stockholm
2002 “Never Letting Poetry Escape”, Tel Aviv Museum of Art, Tel Aviv
2001 “Entre o Design e a Arte”, Museum of Modern Art, Sao Paolo
“Inventividade” Museum of Contemporary Art, Goiania, Brazil
1999 “Retrospectiva Campana”, Casa Franca Brasil, Rio de Janeiro
“Materias/Materiais, Museu de Arte Modernica da Bahia, Salvador
“Numeros”, Museu Brasileiro de Escultura, Sao Paulo
1996 “O Brazil faz Design”, Palazzo Reale, Milan; Museu da Casa Brasileira, Sao Paulo; Instituto dos Arquitetos do Brasil, Rio de Janeiro; Liceu de Artes e Oficios da Bahia, Salvador
1993 “Edicao 93”, Nucleon 8, Sao Paulo
1991“Esculturas”, Pinacoteca do Estado do Sao Paulo
1990 “Organicos”, Nucleon 8, Sao Paulo
1989 “Desconfortaveis”, A Arquitetura da Luz, Sao Paulo
Selected Group Exhibitions
2010 "Unexpected Guests: Yesterday’s homes, today’s design" The Museo Bagatti Valsecchi, Casa Boschi di Stefano, Villa Necchi Campiglio and the Museo Poldi Pezzoli are proud to present, in collaboration with Cosmit and the Culture Council of Milan; Milan Italy
"This That & Then Some" Moss and Thea Westreich, Independent Art Fair; New York
"Contemplating the Void" Guggenheim, New York
2009 U.F.O.: Blurring the Lines Bewteen Art and Design" NRW-Forum Kultur und Wirtschaft, Düsseldorf
"UpCycling: Recuperating Past Lives: Art, Design and the Reinterpretation of Materials". A+ D Museum Los Angeles
"Visual Delight: Ornament and Pattern in Modern and Contemporary Design" Philadelphia Museum of Art; Philadelphia
2006 “Il mondo do Italiano”, Museum of Modern Arts Montreal, Toronto, Canada
“Le mouvement des Images” Centre George Pompidou, Paris
2005 “Big Bang” Centre George Pompidou, Paris
New Acquisitions, MoMA, New York
“Swarm Exhibition”, The Fabric Workshop and Museum, Philadelphia
2003 “The Magic Chandelier at Crystal Palace”, Milan
“The One-Legged Milk Stool”, Design Museum Tank, London
“SOMEWHERE TOTALLY ELSE”, The European Design Show, Design Museum, London
2002 “Milan in a Van”, Victoria and Albert Museum, London
2000 “Blow Up” Vitra Design Museum, Berlin
1998 “Project 66” (with Ingo Mauer), The Museum of Modern Art, New York
Museum and Foundation Collections
Dallas Museum of Art - Pandas Chair
Cooper Hewitt-National Design Museum, New York , Trans...chair
Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo – Jenette Chair, Anenome Chair, Cone Armchair, Zig-Zag Stool
Museum of Modern Art, New York, Corallo Chair, Inflating Table, Vermelha Chair, Cone Chair
Montreal Fine Art Museum, Corallo Chair
Musee des Arts Decoratifs de Paris, Sushi
Museum of Design, Lausanne – Jeannette Chair
The Carnegie Museum of Art, Pittsburgh – Sculpture Screen
Pinakothek der Moderne, Munich – Vermelha Chair
Vitra Design Museum, Germany – Favela Chair
Centre George Pompidou, Paris – Favela Chair and Vermelha Chair
The Manchester Museum, Oxford –Favela Chair
Francisco Capelo Collection, Centro Cultural Behem, Portuagal – Vermelha Chair, Plastico Bolha Chair, Bambu Chair
Tel Aviv Museum of Art, Tel Aviv – Anenome Chair
Vitra Design Museum, Germany – Cardboard Chair, Garden Hose Chair
Museum of Modern Art Sao Paulo – Inflating Table
Museum of Decorative Art of Montreal – Inflating Table
Association Jaqueline Vodoz e Bruno Danese, Milan – Touch Pillow
