The Campana Brothers [09/30/2008]

The Brazilian brothers, Fernando and Humberto Campana, born respectively in 1961 and 1953, have injected new life into contemporary design and today their work features in dedicated exhibitions around the world : in the United States, Italy, Germany and Switzerland. In 1998, The New York MOMA hosted Project 66: Campana/Ingo Maurer. The following year (1999) the brothers were the subject of a first retrospective at the Museum of Modern Art in Bahia (Brazil) and they were awarded the Georges Nelson Design Interiors prize by the American magazine Interiors.
After the dawn of the new millennium, their fame accelerated and their design acquired a veritable international reputation with pieces being integrated into the permanent collections of a number of museums, including the MOMA. From among their most successful creations, their best auctions have been generated by the doll chairs with the evocative name Sushi.

Having grown up in Brazil where "re-defining" or "re-attributing" has been a dominant artistic theme, their designs are much influenced by the recycling of shapes, materials and objects. They have managed to create a certain aesthetic around the concept of finding and re-using existing objects inspired by their observations of improvised interiors in the favelas of Sao Paulo. They manage to convert cheap materials into generous and festive objects. The "Favela chair" is their most direct homage to the way the favelas have developed – made of off-cuts of wood found in the street. Although it may not treat your clothes very kindly, this chair/sculpture edited by the Italian company Edra, changes hands for between € 2,000 and €2,500 at auctions.

Edited by several major companies, their works are still also produced by Estudio Campana in Brazil in limited editions. Hence, they have produced multiple editions of their most popular "doll" creation, the Multidao Chair (2002) made of dozens of locally produced dolls bound together to form a seat. In 2007, a Multidao Chair – produced in 35 examples – cost between USD 25,000 and 30,000. After the success of this toy/chair, they decided to take the idea further with cartoon characters, teddy bears and furry animals: collectors are seduced by pandas, dolphins and crocodiles which "take them back" to their childhood. This year, certain limited edition versions are fetching up to $ 50,000.
Phillips, de Pury & Company regularly brighten up their Design catalogues with the playful works of the Campana Brothers. At its New York sale of 12 June 2008, the same auctioneer sold a Mixed bench/chair made in 2003 out of a mish-mash of various furry and toy animals and produced in 150 copies (plus 5 artist's proofs and 3 prototypes) for $ 50,000 including fees! Just a few minutes later, their Shark and Dolphin Banquette came up for sale. This accumulation of toy dolphins and sharks generated less enthusiasm fetching only half the sum of the Mixed Bench/Chair and despite being produced in a much more limited edition (35 copies).

Their best auction results have been generated by Sushi: in December 2007, Phillips de Pury, New York offered three Sushis, one of which - entitled Sushi IV - was shown on the cover of the sales catalogue. The armchair doubled its estimate (edited in 2003 in 35 copies plus 5 artist's proofs and 3 prototypes). The buyer finally spent $ 85,000 including fees. Just a few minutes later the company presented their Sushi sofa to the assembled buyers (7 copies + 2 proofs and 3 prototypes) which went under the hammer for a handsome 6-figure number: $ 253,000 including fees!

After the auction success of these two highly colourful series, market demand may well intensify for other shapes and materials such as metal or cane for example. Their strange web-like chair in lacquered black metal came up for sale at Tajan in May 2007 and at Christie’s NY on 8 September last. The number 1/12 copy of the Black Iron Chair was major success at Tajan fetching € 35,000. The number 2/12 copy of the same series was offered for sale 18 months later in New-York where it fetched the equivalent of only € 25,000; however, it was already second hand when it came to auction … If buyers have become infatuated with Campana items, they are no less demanding. At these price levels, they are looking for perfect pieces.