1. P R E FA C E
by Sergio Rodrigues
I love wood. Anything made of wood, whether sculpture, handi-
craft or architectural object, moves me. I’m always prospecting in
design stores and thrift shops – and I frequently find something that
touches me and inspires me creatively.
I once received an exhibition catalogue, in which a particular
piece of furniture, among many others of similar caliber, arrested
my attention. It was a day bed of deceptive simplicity, clearly the
work of one with a deep understanding not only of the peculiarities
and idiosyncrasies of wood but also, it seemed, of Brazilian culture.
The name of that lovingly made piece was “Marquesa,” and it
couldn’t have been anything else, for it had an aristocratic soul!
I set out to learn who had created the piece. The company that
had produced it, perhaps not surprisingly, was directed by someone
of depth and understanding. Her name was Etel Carmona, and she
ran a cabinetmaker’s in Valinhos, in São Paulo State, a town recog-
nized for its fine furniture, exemplary design and impeccable finish-
es. Etel told me about the young designer of the “Marquesa,” Clau-
dia Moreira Salles, a graduate of Rio de Janeiro’s School of Industrial
Design, called ESDI, who had been making a name for herself in the
medium of wood furniture.
I eventually met Claudia during an exhibition at the Casa
França-Brasil in Rio, where a series of her pieces had been harmo-
niously arranged around a large hall.
She came over to me smiling, with an urbane manner that
seemed to encompass multiple uniquely Brazilian identities. She
had the easy-going nature so typical of Rio’s residents and the mat-
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2. ter-of-factness of someone from São Paulo. She introduced herself
and accompanied me around the exhibition, describing the details
of her recent creations with the unrestrained enthusiasm of a proud
mother. Wood choice, production techniques, finishes and details
were all described in a simple but confident manner that exuded au-
thority and knowledge; she only faltered when referring to market
prices. An uncommonly strong dose of Brazilianness suffuses her
work, just as it fills her personality. It was evident that this was a
natural tendency, because no school can instill this in a person. I
could see readily that hers was authentic design with a distinct
Brazilian flavor.
After this fleeting personal contact, I encountered her furniture
on a number of occasions – clients’ houses, shops, exhibitions – and
was always thoroughly impressed by her creations. For instance,
wandering the streets of São Paulo a few years back, I came across
a striking piece in Fulvio Nanni’s shop, an experimental design
gallery on trendy Rua Augusta. It was a structured metal table with
a built-in book support. And, as it turned out, it was “Canguru”
(“Kangaroo”), one of Claudia’s earliest creations.
Without the slightest fear of exaggeration, I liken Claudia’s sen-
sibility, creativity and shunning of trends and passing fashions to that
of the great dames of world design, such as Eileen Gray, Charlotte
Perriand, Lina Bo Bardi, Grete Jalk and Gae Aulenti, among others.
Claudia continues producing models of the highest caliber for
both Etel and, through top cabinetmakers in the states of Espírito
Santo and São Paulo, and various private clients. Gallery owners go
out of their way to acquire her work. To my eye, the reasons for this
are readily apparent in each image in the pages of this book.
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3. I N T RO D U C T I O N
I have been following Claudia Moreira Salles’ career for approxi-
mately 20 years and have written about her work in both Brazilian
and foreign publications, as well as for exhibitions that I’ve curated.
Circumstances, however, had never allowed us greater contact until
˜
October 2004, when Claudia and the directors of BEI Editora invit-
ed me to write this book.
From November 2004 to June 2005, we met on several occa-
sions so I could interview her about each of her projects and the
ideas underpinning them. During this period, I was able to exam-
ine most of her creations and the interaction between them and
their carefully chosen architectural settings.
As the book took shape, we both realized that we wanted to go
beyond the typical coffee table examination of the subject: We want-
ed to reveal Claudia’s approach to her work and her contribution to
Brazilian design.
Throughout our conversations, the admiration I already held for
her work grew stronger. In design – as in any activity – there are
those who arrive with a bang, provoking gasps of admiration and
stealing the limelight no matter where they are. But there are also
those who arrive quietly, discreetly, and do not cause a commotion
at first. The longer one looks, however, the more one finds to ad-
mire in them.
Claudia’s work belongs to the latter category. In fact, it is not
only her work that is like this. Claudia Moreira Salles, as an indi-
vidual, embodies her professional equipoise between being and cre-
ating. She lives in the same manner in which she creates: with no
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4. boasting, fanfare, or arrogance. I hope to lead you, the reader be-
yond Claudia’s modesty and reveal a body of work that possesses a
delicate and unassuming self-assurance. It is work that inspires
deeper appreciation the more one gets to know it.
ADÉLIA BORGES
July 2005
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