Lightness & Tension

The exhibition is an immersive experience, where the furniture of Joaquim Tenreiro and Lucas Simões is placed in direct dialogue, creating moments where past and present meet.

Carefully composed pairings of Tenreiro's iconic, airy wooden designs and Simões' sculptural, material-driven furniture highlight the contrasts and continuities between their approaches, revealing how each artist reshapes our understanding of form, space, and structure.

Lucas Simões is a Brazilian artist whose work challenges the limits of form, material, and perception. Born in 1980, he has gained international recognition for his sculptural and architectural explorations, often deconstructing and layering materials such as metal, concrete, and paper. In addition to his acclaimed artistic practice, Simões has expanded his vision into furniture design, creating a collection that embodies the same conceptual and material rigor seen in his artworks.

Joaquim Tenreiro was a visionary designer and craftsman, widely regarded as the father of modern Brazilian furniture. Born in Portugal in 1906, he emigrated to Brazil, where he revolutionized design by blending European woodworking traditions with the organic forms, materials, and sensibilities of his adopted country. His iconic works, including the Poltrona Leve and the Cadeira de Três Pés, embody a poetic balance between modernist principles and Brazilian craftsmanship.

By placing the works of Tenreiro and Simões in dialogue, Lightness & Tension explores the evolving language of Brazilian materiality, craftsmanship, and form.

Pre-exhibit pairings shot at Casa Modernista, São Paulo. Photos by Ruy Teixeira.