KAIMAN JAKARÈ
Fernando Campana, Humberto Campana
Fernando Campana, Humberto Campana
‘Dry’ and ‘humid’ can describe design
as well as climate. The design of
Fernando and Humberto Campana, for
example, is most definitely humid. It
recalls their native Brazil: the dense
canopies of the Amazon and the
sultry, caiman-infested swamps of the
Pantanal. Forms are never dry and
exact, but abundant and sensual. Like
some Amazonian plants, they exude
a carnal sensuality, enveloping and
embracing all who approach. Their
design is voluptuous. And slightly unnerving
- like Jakaré caimans slinking
through muddy waters, or giant
starfish lurking in the turbid Brazilian
seas. It is dense like the mists cloaking
forests and swamps. With a tactile
quality you can feel against your skin
like dew or low lying cloud.
The brothers’ latest creatures come
straight from these humid climes: Kaiman
Jacarè, a frameless upholstered
seat made of several irregular-shaped
elements put together to resemble a
tangle of alligators; Aster Papposus, a
frameless chair made up of two similar
component pieces placed one on top
of the other to form a huge starfish
in which to sit supported by huge
tentacles; and the twisting, looping
tangle of the Boa sofa.
The creations are set against a
backdrop of images that gradually
take shape as clammy mists lift in a
shadowy Pantanal gloom to reveal
human bodies and padded shapes
intertwined in sensual profusion. For
the humid, tropical feel pervading the
work of Fernando and Humberto Campana
hints at violent sensations lying
just below the surface – sensations the
Brazilian brothers have dared express.
The exclusive upholstery options,
all chosen for their affinity with the
animal world, include crocodile-print
leather, artificial furs, and a sleek,
scaly fabric in shimmering colours.
GALLERIA FOTOGRAFICA
