Brazilian designer Gisela Simas has designed two new items of furniture made from cork, which will be launched during the prestigious Milan Design Week, from April 17-22, in the context of the Rio + Design showcase, organised by the Government of the State of Rio de Janeiro, as part of the Be Brasil event, organized by Apex-Brasil.
The new product line - consisting of a coffee table and lamp - is inspired by the wing of a Boeing 737-800 jet, and aims to convey a sense of continuous movement.
Presentation of these two works in one of the world’s most important design events, marks the beginning of a partnership between the studio Original Practical Design Limited (OPD) and Corticeira Amorim, which supported the designer in development of new cork-based items.
Gisela Simas has primarily used wood in her work until now, and places special relevance on the use of a new material to create furniture and design objects: "Sustainable materials are the future. Cork is not only sustainable, it has a wonderful colour and a natural touch. My works mirror my perspective on design, which has to be high quality and use environmentally friendly materials, backed by cutting-edge production technologies."
Gisela Simas’ work is characterized by functionality, customization and versatility, and is not conceived to achieve mass-market sales of her works.
With contemporary lines, made from cork and wood, the Dora coffee table has an innovative, practical and highly original construction, conveying a great feeling of softness.
The Congonhas lamp is manually crafted from cork. It is a large and yet extremely elegant object available in three different sizes.
Both items are produced in Portugal by the furniture company Época, whose client portfolio includes Álvaro Siza Vieira and Philippe Stark.
Further information about Be Brasil:
Any visitor to Milan's Design Week (held in Milan between April 17-22) upon entering the Brazilian space, located on Via Maroncelli 14, will journey through time in the company of Brazilian design : from modernist masters such as Oscar Niemeyer, Lina Bo Bardi and Sérgio Rodrigues to the contemporary highlights of Gustavo Martini, Gisela Simas and Jader Almeida, among other talents. Organized by the Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency (Apex-Brasil), the Be Brasil showcase will be presented in Spazio Edit, and profiles the work of 65 Brazilian designers and companies, in the most important design and furniture event of the year.
The exhibition, held during Milan Design Week, combines everything from handcrafted creations to industrialized products. The goal is to highlight the main competitive attributes of Brazilian design - creativity, innovation and sustainability - exhibiting furniture, lamps, ceramics and ornamental stones. The Brazilian space will include furniture, product design, decorative objects, lighting and ornamental stones. There will be a showcase including highlights from the Casa Vogue Prize and the best Brazilian coverings chosen from the selection to be held during Expo Revestir, the main event of the sector in Latin America, held in March in São Paulo.
Be Brasil in Milan Design Week - Feeding the world of body and soul
DATE: April 17-22
LOCATION: Via Maroncelli, 14, Milan, Italy
TIME: 10 a.m. – 8 p.m.
