Brazil a giant country rich in resources and many challenges

You can certainly feel a new optimism and pride among young Brazilian designers over their own heritage, their materials, and a strong social engagement arising. Of course the environmental challenges are also very present in their concerns and work. Questions around keeping the production inside Brazil, diminishing transportation, keeping the jobs etc are also on the agenda. Same of course as discussions in Europe, but of course, also completely different perspectives. Brazil with its gigantic size, like a whole continent and approx 200 million, has enormous richness in materials and natural resources combined with problems with poverty at the same time as economy is flourishing on another level. Here are some examples of designers, stores and studios I visited working with these various issues.

Many new cooperatives from ladies working with craft and fashion in the favelas, having developed into a successful industry for them and is presented in several stores -as this one within Shopping de Gavea, Parceria Carioca www.parceriacarioca.com.br It all started a few years back with an idea from the cooperative Coopa Roca http://www.coopa-roca.org.br/ and is now serving as an exmple all over Brazil. I picked up a few X'mas presents of course

 Another store in Shopping LeBlon with jewellery made only from original seeds  and material from the Amazones Maria Oiticica www.mariaoiticica.com.br  - almost done with my Christmas shopping

 Visit at Alcantarino Design Studio -http://www.alcantarino.com/english/ founded by designer Carlos Alcantarino, born in Belém, and very involved in environmental and social projects, reuse of rejected materials from industry, spill materials, rubber, crystals, glass, wood - and involved in several big social projects such as www.experiencedesgn.com bringing a freighter full of design to the north of Brazil to open up to young people from the Northeastern areas of Brazil to experience and work with the design process. Another project, aming at taking care of all the leftover materials from the transportation from japan to Brazil by a large aliminium company - such as wood and rubber, and turning it into sellable new products www.cabanos.com.br . A project that also involved many other young designers. Would be very interesting to invite Carlos Alcantarino to Sweden to share experiences with Swedish Designers working with the same aims.

 Brazilian crystals given new exposure and value 

 recycled glass, steel, mirrors in traditional shapes, and mimimizing the production process by reusing the same shapes in new version

Carlos Alcantarino in his studio, born in Belem (and good friend with the artist Emmanuel Nassar whom I befriended at the time we lived in Brazil and we brought Brazilian contemporary art to Sweden). With and engineering back ground, a deep social involvement and passion for the arts, Carlos is developing and important and impressive work.

 My guide from the Governement Jaqueline Pererira and Carlos Alcantarino

 Mirror effect - vases, candle holders, trays.... all from recycled material and repeated forms

Young collaborators Fernando Jones and Gustavo Martini in special design glasses for me

More collaborators, elegant Valdeir and Manoel Pyres

 

Below; Fernanda Funes - lamps, first with ceramic, pure earth visible, and second the lamp Shakti, which she has shown in Milan , where the acrylic diffusers can be turned around in a variety of lightning effect