Campana Brothers Unveil Cork Furniture Collection

*Cork chair by the Campana Brothers from their Sobriero collection.*

Taking pride of place in Carmen’s Miami home, the Campana Brothers’ baroque-inspired Lina chair showcases the duo’s design-led aesthetic and love of unusual details. And in their latest collection, it is the natural textures of the material itself that appealed to the Brazilian designers, who worked almost entirely with cork.

Entitled the Sobreiro collection, the pieces were created to showcase the potential of cork as a design material, and were unveiled at the Consulate of Portugal in São Paulo in Brazil during the annual Experimenta Portugal arts and culture festival. "We've always been fascinated by cork, not only because it is an ecological material but because of its lightness," explained Humberto Campana. Crafted in different shades of natural brown, the collection consists of an armchair and three complementary cabinets, each piece utilizing the material in a different way—the chair is pure cork, while one of the cabinets is a hybrid of cork and clay.

*A cork cabinet from the new collection.*

Fernando and Humberto Campana started to work together in the eighties, and have used leather, palm fronds and even fish skin to create the unusual effects that typify their work. But this is the first time they have worked with cork, which as well as being versatile is one of the most sustainable materials to harvest and is completely recyclable. "We're keen on exploring recycled materials. We have been discovering so many impressive sustainable and ecological materials and processes," said Humberto. "At the moment, we are researching the possibilities of using pineapple leather."

*A cork cabinet featuring a wavelike pattern by the Campana Brothers.*

Research for the cork furniture was conducted in Portugal in collaboration with the Portuguese Cork Association (APCOR) and major Portuguese cork supplier, Amorim. Humberto Campana spent time in Amorim's laboratory experimenting with the material, which is one of Portugal's main exports. “Travelling to Portugal connected me with my roots,” he said. “The experience of the trip was amazing, because it made me far more aware of my Portuguese heritage.”

The Sobreiro collection will be on display in São Paulo until 19th August.

Photos: Nuno Sousa Dias