Oscar Armchairs by Sergio Rodrigues
About the Item
- Creator:Sergio Rodrigues (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 32.49 in (82.5 cm)Width: 27.76 in (70.5 cm)Depth: 21.66 in (55 cm)
- Sold As:Set of 2
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (In the Style Of)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:circa 1960
- Condition:Rewoven.
- Seller Location:London, GB
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU5350221146492
Sergio Rodrigues
The prolific architect and designer Sergio Rodrigues is often called the "father of modern Brazilian design," but it is the second adjective in that phrase that deserves emphasis: Rodrigues’s great achievement was to create furniture in a style that captured the spirit, character and personality of his country.
Modernity came slowly to 20th-century Brazil, politically and culturally. The nation finally realized genuine constitutional democracy in 1945, ushering in a new, progressive era in the arts. Until that time, heavy furniture based on historical European models had been the norm. In the late 1940s, designer Joaquim Tenreiro introduced sleek, minimalist chairs and cabinets; José Zanine Caldas, now best known for his later artisanal work, created plywood furnishings for mass-production; the Italian architect Lina Bo Bardi, a former editor for the Gio Ponti-founded magazine Domus, set up shop in São Paulo, designing elegant, flexible chairs set on slim metal frames.
This was the heady scene into which Rodrigues, the son of an artistically prominent Rio de Janeiro family, arrived after graduating in 1952 from the national university. He established Oca Industries in 1955, a company that would become the preeminent maker of modernist furniture in Brazil. When architects Lúcio Costa and Oscar Niemeyer were tasked in 1956 with the whirlwind project to plan, design and build the new capital, Brasília, in five years, they used Rodrigues’s early chairs, with their softly-contoured lines and caned seats and backrests, to furnish many of the buildings.
Rodrigues would realize the true expression of his talents in — and garner international awards and acclaim with — his Mole chair of 1957. The word mole means "soft" in Portuguese, but can be interpreted as "easygoing" or even "listless." Rodrigues's chair features a sturdy, generously proportioned frame of the native South American hardwood jacaranda, upholstered with overstuffed leather pads that flap like saddlebags across the arms, seat, and backrest. It is a chair that invites sprawling — perfect for the social milieu of the bossa nova and caipirinha cocktails; where a languorous afternoon spent chatting and joking is the apex of enjoyment.
Most of the estimated 1,200 armchairs, sofas, tables, storage cabinets and dining tables Rodrigues designed in his long career are imbued, in one way or another, with this air of robust relaxation. Sergio Rodrigues was a designer true to the temperament of his people.
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: London, United Kingdom
- Return PolicyThis item cannot be returned.
- Mucki Bench by Sergio RodriguesBy Sergio RodriguesLocated in London, GBIconic "Mucki" bench designed by Sergio Rodrigues. Provence: private collection in the South of Brazil.Category
Mid-20th Century Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Benches
MaterialsHardwood
- Franco Sofa by Sergio RodriguesBy Sergio RodriguesLocated in London, GBIconic and rare "Franco" sofa by Sergio Rodrigues.Category
Mid-20th Century Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Sofas
MaterialsFabric, Hardwood
- Pair of Odilon Chairs by Sergio RodriguesBy Sergio RodriguesLocated in London, GBSergio Roberto Santos Rodrigues was a Brazilian carioca architect and designer. Along with Joaquim Tenreiro and José Zanine Caldas, Rodrigues was the Pio...Category
Vintage 1960s British Mid-Century Modern Chairs
MaterialsFabric, Wood
- Pair of Mocho Stools by Sergio RodriguesBy Sergio RodriguesLocated in London, GBThe “Mocho” stool is probably one of Sergio Rodrigues’s most iconic pieces. It was also the very first piece of furniture designed by him for OCA in 1954. ...Category
Vintage 1950s Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Side Tables
MaterialsWood
- Pair of Armchairs by Joaquim TenreiBy Joaquim TenreiroLocated in London, GBIconic armchairs designed by Joaquim Tenreiro in 1958. These armchairs have been sourced directly from a private collection in Rio de Janeiro. Photos of them in their original ...Category
Mid-20th Century Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsCane, Hardwood
- Pair of Presidencial ArmchairsBy Jorge ZalszupinLocated in London, GBIconic pair of presidencial armchairs designer by Zalszupin for L'Atelier Provenance: Private collection in Sao Paulo - Brazil.Category
Vintage 1960s European Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsSteel
- Armchair by Sérgio RodriguesBy Sergio RodriguesLocated in Barcelona, ESArmchair designed by Sérgio Rodrigues in iron structure, solid wood arms and new black leather upholstery. Brazil, 1950.Category
Vintage 1950s Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsIron
- Pair of "Oscar" Armchairs by Sergio Rodrigues, Brazilian Midcentury Design, 1956By Sergio RodriguesLocated in New York, NYCreated by Sergio Rodrigues (1927-2014) in 1956, the Oscar armchair was an homage to Oscar Niemeyer (1907-2012), one of the most important Brazilian architects in modern architecture...Category
Vintage 1950s Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsStraw, Rosewood
- "Kilin" Single Armchair by Sergio RodriguesBy Sergio RodriguesLocated in New York, NYDesigned by Sergio Rodrigues (1927-2014) in 1973 and produced by Oca, the Kilin armchair is composed of two sides and two crosspieces, with the back and...Category
Vintage 1970s Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsLeather, Wood
- Pair of "Oscar" Armchairs by Sergio Rodrigues, Brazilian Midcentury Design 1956By Sergio RodriguesLocated in PARIS, FRThe Oscar armchair, designed by Sergio Rodrigues (1927-2014) in 1956, serves as a tribute to Oscar Niemeyer (1907-2012), a highly influential figure in the realm of modern Brazilian ...Category
Mid-20th Century Brazilian Armchairs
MaterialsCane, Rosewood
- "Kilin" Brazilian Midcentury Armchair by Sergio Rodrigues, 1973By Sergio RodriguesLocated in New York, NYDesigned by Sergio Rodrigues (1927-2014) in 1973 and produced by Oca, the Kilin armchair is composed of two sides and two crosspieces, with the back and seat made from a unique piece...Category
Vintage 1970s Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsLeather, Wood
- Caola Armchair, by Sergio Rodrigues, Brazilian Hardwood, Brazilian MidcenturyBy Sergio RodriguesLocated in Sao Paulo, SPThis stunning 1960s pair of Caola armchairs made by Sérgio Rodrigues are made by Brazilian Hardwood Definitely a piece that is capable of bringing a sense of personality and style to any decor. The piece was not restored yet, so the client can choose the style. Sérgio Rodrigues was an architect and designer born in Rio de Janeiro. Together with Joaquim Tenreiro and José Zanine Caldas, he was the Pioneer in transforming Brazilian design into Industrial Design and making it known worldwide. Sergio lived the height of his career in the 50s and 60s. He worked with furniture design in line with modernism in Brazil, bringing a Brazilian identity to his projects both in drawings and in traditional materials - leather, straw, and wood - highlighting the culture of Brazilian indigenous. A contemporary of Oscar Niemeyer and Lúcio COSTA, his furniture was used on a large scale in the construction of the Brazilian capital Brasília. His most famous work is the "Poltrona Mole...Category
Mid-20th Century South American Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsWood