Born into a family where music and engineering, fashion and dance intersected, Juliana Vasconcelos grew up in an atmosphere of precision and improvisation. After graduating with a degree in architecture, she opened her own studio, which gained worldwide recognition in the field of interior and collectible design. Her work is based on the contemplation of the moving beauty of everyday life, when, in the flow of daily routine, ordinary objects unexpectedly arouse curiosity with their combination of materials, textures and tones, intricate interweaving of lines and expressive plasticity of forms. Often in search of inspiration, she turns to surrealist methods, immersing herself in sleep with a notebook in her hands so that, upon returning from the unconscious, she can immediately sketch what she has seen. To realise her ideas, Juliana turns to ancient techniques of manual labour that are widespread in Brazil. In her works, she uses local wood, fabrics made from natural fibres woven by indigenous artisans, as well as stone and metal from the mountainous region of Minas Gerais, her homeland. Juliana combines seemingly opposite principles: accessible and extraordinary, sculptural and functional, heavy and sophisticated, delicate and strong. She knows how to build a dialogue between contrasting characters and respects the value of the rare. Among those who have influenced her, Juliana particularly highlights Antonio Gaudi and Oscar Niemeyer — the architects for whom a building was not a structure, but a movement, a fantasy, an image embodied in matter.