Brazilian designers frequently use indigenous materials to give their creations a unique edge, but few have ventured beyond the country’s range of distinctive woods. For her latest lighting collection, 'Sintonia Fina', designer Claudia Moreira Salles experimented with niobium, a lustrous grey rare metal, native to Brazil, which she manipulated at different temperatures to produce a range of vibrant colours.
‘Except for a few pieces of jewellery, I‘ve never seen objects made with this metal,’ she says. ‘Using a controlled electrolysis process, niobium can achieve a spectrum of colours without the use of any pigment, and it produces an outcome that is different to anodised aluminium or any other stained or painted metal. I was captivated by the iridescence and surprising colours the process achieved.’
Moreira Salles formed sheets of niobium into semi-spherical lampshades, which, once coloured, were then juxtaposed with reclaimed wooden bases and components in a delicate balance of volume and weight. The limited-edition lighting will be presented this month alongside Moreira Salles’ new furniture collection at design gallery Espasso’s New York space.
The exhibition showcases a new series of lighting made from niobium, a material traditionally used in aeronautical manufacturing. Pictured: ’FM’ table lamp, 2016.
The show also presents a series of original furniture designed by Salles Moreira, in collaboration with Etel Interiores and Espasso, including coffee tables (left) and a reedition of Salles Moreira’s popular ’Canguru’ desk (pictured right, with the designer).
’Standby’ coat hangers, 2016.
Salles Moreira’s lamp shades are wrapped in sheets of the malleable metal...
...and then dipped in a chemical bath to be cured, revealing a fantastic array of colors
INFORMATION
’Fine Tuning’ is on view until 14 October. For more details, please visit the Espasso website
ADDRESS
Espasso
38 N Moore Street
New York, NY 10013
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