Past and Presente – Salon Art+Design New York 2025: Bossa Furniture

When Tenreiro opened his first showroom in 1947 on Rua Barata Ribeiro in Copacabana, newspapers referred to it as Galeria Tenreiro — not a store, but a space dedicated to culture and art. Alongside his own works, he exhibited pieces by Bruno Giorgi, Burle Marx, Ivan Serpa, and Alfredo Volpi, establishing one of Rio’s first hubs for modern art and design. Instead of displaying furniture as isolated objects, he composed complete domestic settings that proposed a new way of living.

A second showroom followed in 1953 in São Paulo, later relocating to the modernist Conjunto Nacional. These spaces embodied his philosophy: immersive environments where art, architecture, and life converged. Many clients commissioned him to design entire interiors — harmonious compositions that balanced clarity, warmth, and proportion. His rooms often united his furniture with paintings by Tarsila do Amaral or Di Cavalcanti, handcrafted ceramics, and Afro-Brazilian jewelry, expressing modernism not as a style but as a way of life.

BOOKSHELF, 1950s

Designed by Joaquim Tenreiro in the 1950s, this bookshelf is a rare example of his refined approach to proportion and material. Recently restored according to its original specifications, the piece is made entirely of solid rosewood and rosewood veneers — one of Brazil’s most remarkable native woods, essential to understanding the evolution of Brazilian furniture design through the decades.

SOFA, 1960s

Made for a private commission, it is a unique piece from the 1960s featuring a rosewood base and comfortable L-shaped cushions. Newly upholstered with refined cotton velvet by Loro Piana. This rare piece contains its original manufacturer’s stamp. Its organic, fluid curves are a fundamental feature of Joaquim Tenreiro’s work and can be appreciated in a few other models.

BLOCH DESK, 1965

The Bloch Editors Desk is a signature design by Joaquim Tenreiro, produced in two versions: one with a glass top and another with a veneer top. The piece was created for Bloch Editores S.A., a Brazilian publishing house founded in 1952 and active until 2000, where Tenreiro was responsible for furnishing the interiors.
Archival images show that Tenreiro also designed furniture for the home of Adolpho Bloch, the company’s founder, including some of his most iconic creations. This desk bears a metal tag with an identification number. Composed of a rectangular box with three drawers, a rosewood structure, and a painted glass top, the piece exemplifies Tenreiro’s reductive approach to form — achieved through the disciplined use of rectangular volumes and straight lines.

OFFICE CHAIR, 1950s

Mirror, 2024 (Material Distortion)

Part of the Material Distortion series, this mirror exemplifies Lucas Recchia’s approach to modularity, transformation, and sculptural experimentation. Using only six basic ring shapes— four rounded and two rectangular—in bronze or aluminum, Recchia creates an assemblage system capable of evolving into multiple typologies. These forms can give rise to side tables, coffee tables, vases, chandeliers, trays, consoles, and mirrors, each configuration revealing a new perspective on space and function. Every piece is unique and made to order, reflecting Recchia’s meticulous attention to materiality and his ongoing exploration of form.

Helo Console Table, 2025

Helo combines a bronze cast base and a fused glass top, two complex techniques mastered by Lucas Recchia. Through an intuitive process, curved bronze rods intersect to support the glass, with one rod extending through the surface, subtly challenging functional expectations. The structure balances material weight with visual lightness, transforming a utilitarian object into an exploration of form, tension, and spatial presence.

Eche Collection, 2024

The Eche Collection is Lucas Recchia’s first series of seating, first presented in his solo show Elemental Echoes in 2024. The collection includes three models: armchair, chaise lounge, and sofa. Cast bronze bases support the seats, balancing visual lightness with material solidity. Each piece explores the interaction of form, material, and space, transforming seating into sculptural, tactile objects crafted to endure.

Coria, 2025

Coria (2025) is the first sconce conceived by Lucas Recchia, and Bossa is pleased to launch it at Salon Art + Design 2025. The piece embodies a refined, sculptural aesthetic and allows multiple installation possibilities, whether as a single element, in pairs, or in groups. The sconce features two distinct surfaces, formed in molds and then cast in bronze or aluminum. Its subtle curvature produces intriguing reflections and nuanced shades. Known for his meticulous construction and high-quality execution, Recchia creates works that convey both sculptural character and tactile presence, transforming functional objects into refined, collectible art pieces.