A Brazilian emigrant of Polish origin, architect and designer Jorge Zalszupin was born in 1922. He arrived in Brazil in 1949, bringing with him the refined influence of the minimalism of Danish modernists such as Hans Wegner and Arne Jacobsen, which can be read in his graceful style, embellished with classic details and skillful workmanship of Brazilian wood essences such as jacaranda (rosewood) and imbuia (walnut). On August 17, 2020, at the age of 98, Jorge Zalszupin left us. We remember him through the words of Lissa Carmona who, together with her mother Etel, founder of the atelier Etel, has reissued some of his projects for the contemporary market, replacing the rarest wood species with more sustainable materials.
What was the physiognomy of his design approach? And what was the relevance of Zalszupin's role in the history of Brazilian design and architecture?
As an architect he designed some important buildings and many residences in Sao Paulo, but it was through his design pieces that he became well known. His legacy on Modern Design in general (not only Brazilian) is extraordinary, he created very sophisticated furniture of exceptional quality and originality, which transcended time, exalted his passion for our tropical woods and inscribed his name in history as one of the greatest designers of the 20th century.
The core of his work is elegance and innovation, from delicate pieces in wood with precious details in brass to plastic accessories. Two of his most emblematic creations are the “Dinamarquesa” armchair inspired on the Niemeyer’s Columns of the Alvorada Palace and the “JZ” Tea trolley that his inspiration was on the baby trolleys from his hometown Warsaw, Poland.
Showing a surprising balance between creating, and producing , believing and doing, he went through all the adversities and became an extraordinary designer and great businessman, working with many different materials, from solid wood, to plastic, his company L'Atelier and his vast and elegant furniture production is the symbol of Brazilian modernism apogee, and inspired many designers, gallerists, producers.
Did you, Lissa, meet him personally?
I knew him personally and quite well, he was a dear friend and an amazing designer. I’ve met him 20 years ago when we started working together to reissue his collection. I had the honor to edit his book and he assigned me his autobiography, both published in 2014. He was an incredible and strong person, with a sophisticated sense of humor, the story of his life is amazing, he used to say that his life was succession of miracles, and sure it was!
Which relationship links Etel to Jorge Zalszupin?
We have a very close and important relationship with Jorge Zalszupin. We started working together in 2000, at that time Brazilian Design wasn’t in evidence, and his exquisite work didn’t have the deserved awareness. Etel Carmona herself was passionate about his work and they developed a beautiful partnership, once they shared the values and had similar experiences, Zalszupin himself was a great entrepreneur and had a cutting-edge furniture atelier in the 50’s values. Both shared the same passion and respect for tropical woods, used them with caution and admiration, with no abuse but towards its limits. His experience with highly skilled craftsman found an eco on our team of artisans, who were delighted and challenged at the same time to bring back to live Jorge's iconic creations, and in 2008 Zalszupin was inspired by them to design a new piece after more than 40 years without drawing, the Veronica armchair. ETEL has the exclusive rights to re-edit his entire Collection.