José Zanine Caldas

JOSÉ ZANINE CALDAS (Belmonte, Bahia, 1919-Vitória, Espírito Santo, 2001).
Coffee table, 1979.
Solid angelim wood.
Provenance: private collection, Brazil.
Measurements: height: 37 cm; maximum width: 90 cm; top thickness: 10 cm.

Coffee table made of solid angelim wood, representative of the most organic and sculptural language of José Zanine Caldas. It preserves the natural section of the trunk, with its concentric grain, irregularities and live edge, making the raw material the absolute protagonist of the design.

The thick envelope rests on supports formed by fragments of raw wood, reinforcing the sensation of telluric solidity and a direct link with the Brazilian landscape. Zanine does not hide the nature of the material, but rather exalts it: cracks, marks, texture and volume are integrated into a composition of great plastic force, halfway between functional furniture and sculpture.

The work is part of Zanine Caldas' most recognizable period, marked by the use of large tropical woods and by a profoundly ethical and sensorial approach to design. His furniture from the seventies vindicates the structural beauty of wood, but also a pioneering awareness of the use of natural resources, working with trunks, remnants and sections that preserve the memory of the tree.

José Zanine Caldas was a self-taught architect, designer, sculptor and landscape designer, known as the "Master of Wood". His work, admired by architects such as Oscar Niemeyer and Lucio Costa, is a unique synthesis of traditional Brazilian craftsmanship and modern techniques. His works are represented in important international collections, including the Centre Pompidou and the Museum of Modern Art in New York.