Ricardo Fasanello

About

Ricardo Fasanello was born in São Paulo in 1930 and showed an uncommon talent for creation from an early age. At 14, he designed and built a sailboat, and by 18 he was already developing his own lofts. A young dandy driven by speed and excitement, he nearly lost his life in a serious accident while driving his Porsche 550 Spyder on the road between São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro. After meeting his future wife, Countess Olivia Tarnowska, he slowed his pace and moved to a bohemian neighborhood in Rio, where he divided his time between exotic pets and his passion for designing and building race cars.

Fasanello’s work is defined by functionality and the use of artisanal tools applied to industrial design, resulting in furniture that combines a distinctly Brazilian aesthetic with an effortless sophistication. In his atelier, the creative process unfolds through making itself, incorporating solutions that emerge during production. With strong technical command of materials and a singular sensitivity, he harmonized contrasts and created innovative forms, such as his iconic rounded, rotating armchairs designed to encourage conversation.

“The material demands a shape, or the shape indicates the material—the designer is a prisoner of this relationship.”