Sergio Rodrigues the father of Brazilian furniture

Sérgio Rodrigues, born in Rio de Janeiro in 1927 and widely dubbed the father of Brazilian furniture, was responsible for establishing an entirely new paradigm in design — one defined by a clearly recognizable Brazilian identity. He graduated from the Faculdade Nacional de Arquitetura in 1952 and shortly after founded one of the first modern furniture and art stores in Curitiba, before opening his celebrated company Oca in 1955, which he called "a laboratory for Brazilian furniture and handicrafts." He became known for his use of robust native woods like jacaranda, peroba, and imbuia, and his iconic Mole armchair — with its jacaranda frame and upholstered cushions suspended by leather straps — became an immediate international symbol of a relaxed, sensual, and distinctly Brazilian way of living. His work went on to furnish the Brazilian Embassy in Rome, the University of Brasília, and the Teatro Nacional, and he collaborated closely with Oscar Niemeyer as the architect's interior designer of choice for his buildings in Brasília. ESPASSO — founded in New York in 2002 by São Paulo-born Carlos Junqueira with a vision to introduce Brazil's furniture design to the United States — has played a defining role in bringing global recognition to Rodrigues's legacy, representing his work alongside other masters such as Lina Bo Bardi, Oscar Niemeyer, and Jorge Zalszupin. In 2012, Junqueira expanded the gallery across the Atlantic with the opening of ESPASSO London, consolidating the brand's role as a cultural ambassador for Brazilian design on the global stage. The strong lines and dark woods of Espasso's furniture stand out against the stripped-down architecture of the London space, making it a striking destination for architects, collectors, and interior designers seeking the depth and warmth of mid-century Brazilian craftsmanship. A milestone in this advocacy came in 2018, when Carlos Junqueira gifted Rodrigues's iconic Mole Armchair and Ottoman to The Metropolitan Museum of Art — the first piece of modern Brazilian design to enter The Met's holdings — with the museum noting that the work would serve as a foundation for a broader collection of Latin American modern design.