CAMPANA BROTHERS

Founded in 1983 in São Paulo, Brazil, Fernando Campana (1961–2022) and Humberto Campana (b. 1953) established the renowned design studio, Campana Brothers.

Humberto initially trained as a lawyer before pursuing sculpture, while Fernando studied architecture but chose to collaborate with his brother, together experimenting with materials and furniture design. Their breakthrough came in 1991 with the Favela Chair, constructed from discarded wood fragments sourced from a São Paulo favela as an early expression of their inventive use of reclaimed materials.

They went on to create iconic works such as the Vermelha chair, the Cone chair, and the Estela lamp. In 1998, they gained international recognition when they became the first Brazilian designers to exhibit at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, alongside German lighting designer Ingo Maurer.

Throughout their career, the Campana Brothers received numerous international honours in recognition of their contribution to contemporary design. In 2008, they were named Designer of the Year at Design/Miami. In 2012, Fernando and Humberto were awarded the Colbert Committee Prize in Paris, honoured by Design Week in Beijing, received the Order of Cultural Merit in Brasília, and were appointed to the Order of Arts and Letters by the French Ministry of Culture. That same year, they were also elected Designers of the Year by Maison & Objet in Paris. In 2022, Humberto Campana was awarded an Honorary Doctorate by the University of the Arts London and the University of Córdoba, Argentina, in recognition of his outstanding contribution to the creative industries.

Campana Brothers pieces are part of permanent collections of several public collection, including Centre Pompidou and Musée Des Arts Décoratifs in Paris, Museum of Modern Art in New York, Museum of Modern Art of Sao Paulo and Vitra Design Museum in Weil am Rhein.

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