Brazilian Artist Lucas Simoes Turns Modernist Legacy Into Living Room Sculptures - Yanko Design

"Brazilian artist Lucas Simões has made a bold jump from gallery walls to living rooms with "Colendra," his first furniture collection that's causing quite a stir at Christie's Los Angeles. The pieces are showing at the "Lightness & Tension" exhibition through September 19, and they're exactly what you'd expect from an artist who's spent years cutting up photographs and turning secrets into sculptures."

"Simões isn't shy about his inspiration. He's channeling Joaquim Tenreiro, the Brazilian modernist master who pretty much invented the country's mid-century aesthetic back in the day. But this isn't some nostalgic throwback. Simões takes Tenreiro's elegant curves and geometric precision, then cranks up the volume until you get furniture that looks like it could anchor a room or hold down a building."

"The materials tell the story. Steel frames meet Portuguese Brazilian quartzite tops in ways that shouldn't work but absolutely do. Add polished concrete for weight and tempered glass for breathing room, and you've got pieces that feel substantial without being heavy-handed. The dining table especially commands attention-it's the kind of piece that makes everything else in the room step back and take notice."

Lucas Simões's Colendra collection translates mid-century Brazilian modernist forms into large-scale, functional sculptures presented at Christie's Los Angeles in the "Lightness & Tension" exhibition through September 19. Steel frames meet Portuguese Brazilian quartzite tops, polished concrete, and tempered glass to create pieces that feel substantial without appearing heavy. The collection includes a commanding dining table, a bench that doubles as sculpture, a curving chaise lounge, and coffee tables that echo the same design DNA. The work references Joaquim Tenreiro's elegant curves and geometric precision while amplifying tension and surprise, intentionally blurring the line between art object and usable furniture.

Read at Yanko Design - Modern Industrial Design News