This “Casca” chair by contemporary artist Domingos Tótora is made of steel and recycled cardboard in line with the artist’s environmental creed.

This model reflects Tótora’s closeness to nature from its shape to its materials and name, for as ‘casca’ means the bark of a tree in Portuguese. The welcoming seat is supremely comfortable, with each Casca chair having a unique shape. The body is supported by the stylish metal frame, which adds a modern touch. This chair’s aesthetic can be best described as “environmental modernism” a notion that is central to Tótora’s works.

Domingos Tótora creates objects and sculptures where beauty is inseparable from function, lifting common everyday objects and injecting them with the spirit of Minas Gerais, the beautiful mountainous region he grew up in. Although Tótora’s team follows his designs closely, his creations are made by hand and inherently open for little imperfections and differences, purposely adding to the Wabi-Sabi aesthetic of the work.

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SOLD

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Condition:

New.

Dimensions:

38.19 in W x 33.47 in D x 32.68 in H

97 cm W x 85 cm D x 83 cm H

Literature:

Domingos Tótora - Maria Sonia Madureira de Pinho, Brazil 2013, unpaginated

About the designer:

Domingos Tótora (1960-) is a contemporary Brazilian designer whose work falls between art and design. Born and raised in the mountainous region of Maria da Fé, nature is an essential part of Tótora’s aesthetic. Being true to nature means that imperfections are a welcome part of Tótora’s designs, embracing asymmetry and unevenness in the spirit of wabi-sabi.

Following his studies in Sao Paulo, Tótora found inspiration on the streets in the form of discarded cardboards. He created a process in which cardboard can be recycled by breaking it down to small pieces, transforming it to cellulose plaster. With the addition of water, glue and natural pigments, the cardboard can be shaped into new forms. Through this sustainable process, waste cardboards are turned into a wood-like material. Tótora and his small team believe sustainability happens through actions and not words.

His studio, Domingos Totora Estúdio de Artes Design, was founded in 2005 in his hometown, Maria da Fé. The beauty of his work manifests itself in its philosophy of creation and respect for the environment. The production process of Tótora’s designs is 100% manual and the cardboard he uses is fully recycled. Domingos Tótora is a true mixture of artist, designer, and craftsman. In recent years, the originality and elegance of his creations have been recognized in several exhibitions. ~H.