Fifty pieces from renowned Brazilian furniture designer and architect Carlos Motta were unveiled yesterday at New York's Brazilian design gallery, Espasso. Eleven of the showcased pieces were created exclusively for the show. “Atelier Carlos Motta: 40 Years” will spotlight four decades’ worth of work, revealing how the designer's interests—among them, surfing, yoga, nature, sustainability, and environmental and social responsibility—have influenced his work. “Over the years, I have strived to create works that are honest and speak to my philosophy of designing pieces that are simple, respectful and long-lasting. This exhibition is extremely exciting for me because it allows visitors to see who I am as a designer by viewing a broad selection of my pieces at once,” said Motta.
Carlos Motta
Motta reimagined the gallery's first floor, with custom decor and hand-drawn illustrations that complement the newly premiered pieces. New pieces include a combination lamp and side table (created using laser cutting, welding and oxidizing to transform coffee filters, rusted iron and reclaimed wood); the Sergio armchair, a tribute to the artist's late friend, and others.
Scenes from the retrospective, now at Espasso
“Carlos Motta’s furniture is modern Brazilian design at its finest, and his approach translates across many disciplines to create works that are beautiful, unique and noteworthy. Espasso is honored to mark Motta’s 40th year of designing with the first-ever U.S. retrospective of his pieces and to launch limited-edition pieces created for this show,” said Espasso owner and curator Carlos Junqueira.
Carcará lamp
Tinga Chair
Pindá Chair
The exhibit will be on view until October 12, and the newly debuted pieces will be sold in the U.S. exclusively at Espasso. As part of the exhibit, Motta has produced a limited number of photographs, each featuring one of four different pieces of furniture on view; the photos will be given to exhibit visitors.
The gallery is located at 38 N Moore Street in New York.