Joaquim Tenreiro

Joaquim Tenreiro was the first Brazilian modernist designer whose work took gilded, ornate and velvet furniture out of the homes of wealthy Brazilians. He was born in Portugal into a family of hereditary carpenters, where he learnt woodworking skills from childhood. He moved to Brazil in his late 20s, where he began to study painting and technical drawing. His knowledge of carpentry and his love of drawing enabled him to obtain responsible positions in large furniture companies such as Laubisch & Hirth and Leandro Martins. In 1941 he was commissioned to make furniture for a famous writer's house designed by Oscar Niemeyer. For the next 25 years, Tenreiro created comfortable and stylish furniture which expressed the progressive spirit of his time. It is worth noting that the master had to compete with himself, as other furniture makers copied his work, which was in great demand. Until the end of his career, Joaquim Tenreiro deliberately avoided the technologies of mass production, treating the pieces he created as works of art. He dedicated the rest of his life to painting and sculpture.

«It was this strong desire to find the freedom to create my own style that led me down the path of modern design.»