Carlos Motta at Espasso

Marking 40 years of Brazilian design star Carlos Motta‘s career, Espasso gallery – equally versed in mid-century modern to contemporary Brazilian furniture – hosts a comprehensive and immersive retrospective at their Tribeca locale.

Opening on 16 September, the show features 50 iconic chairs, tables and lamps as well as 11 new limited-edition pieces. Almost as if in the designer’s own home, a highly personal mural of  inspiration, photos and sketches stream across three walls, perfectly matching an eclectic yet identifiably-Motta array of furniture and accents in arranged domestic settings. Ecologically-sensitive in the selection of noble and upcycled woods – his country’s natural wealth – the quintessentially autonomous designer sees each step of his process through, especially as it follows into yoga and surfing practices.

Trained as a carpenter in both California and Finland, the influences of modern simplicity and ergonomic sophistication have made Motta a recognised figure the world over. With a full spectrum of styles, materials, proportions and applications telling a full story, a more recent one-off collection – celebrating this milestone – demonstrates Motta’s playfully suggestive nature, reflection on his own career, implementation of new production technologies and keen understanding of massive materials.

The Carlos Motta 40 Years retrospective runs till 12 October at Espasso: 38 North Moore Street, New York.