Graduated in Chemical Production Engineering, he worked as a consultant in different companies. In 2002, he took his first carpentry course, as a hobby. After other training and a lot of dedication to foreign specialized literature and learning about the practice of national and international talents, he decided to follow his great passion: working with wood.
In 2017, he founded Atelier Chico Margarita in Sao Paulo, with the mission of bringing to environments the inexhaustible beauty, unique enchantment and well-being provided by nature.
Rarity
In his studio, Chico Margarita creates and produces ARTISTIC AND AUTHORIAL furniture, lamps and panels in wood, in an ARTISANAL way. Its pieces, with and without marquetry, have an organic and exclusive design, which emphasizes the fine finish and quality work on raw wood.
These are products that add ART and EXCLUSIVITY to the environment, with joinery that is no longer seen so easily nowadays: curved lines, lapidated by hand, extremely soft to the touch, based on joints and with biodegradable and toning-free finishes.
Chico Margarita creates pieces with the intention that they awaken the desire for contemplation and, above all, move people. For him, unique furniture are special pieces for those who choose them and, thus, they become a second and long life for the wood. Pieces like these are unlikely to be replaced, which greatly contributes to the sustainability of our planet.
Pure art
As a woodworker-designer, Chico Margarita personally designs and executes his high-end decorative pieces. Just like a true painter, who creates and paints his own paintings, we can say that his works are 100% signed, because both the design and execution pass through his hands.
In a tireless search for beauty, Chico Margarita creates intuitively, through inspiration, in a process of great sensitivity. First, he falls in love with the piece he envisions; only then he thinks about how to make it viable. It puts productive carpentry techniques at the service of inspiration. Never the other way around.
His artisanal manufacturing process, disconnected from the demands of industrial production, considers traditional carpentry practices, but also experiments and embraces constant productive innovation, necessary to make his ideas viable. Fine adjustment of fittings and rounding are done manually. The organic line, the curve and the innovative design guarantee the contemporaneity of his pieces.
‘Handmade’ does not result the same as in industrial-scale productions. On the one hand, it enables even more surprising results. On the other hand, it allows some degree of imperfection, as long as it does not affect the integrity, structure and beauty of the work. Imperfection is related to the human being and it is welcomed by the artist as part of the peculiarity of each piece. As with hand-woven rugs, which are much more valued than industrialized carpets.
And the result is pure art. Pieces that are like jewelry, special, in an environment.
Honor the woods
For Chico, wood is the center of production. He reveres it and personally chooses the most beautiful parts to be highlighted in each piece of furniture, at each angle. He evaluates the coloring, the veins, the natural designs and how each aspect can enhance what he is producing. He enjoys the smell of wood, he touches the tree trunks and appreciates their textures. And it’s a great achievement for him when his creation comes to life.
Chico Margarita’s art is a way of showing people the beauty of nature and wood. A gratitude to the centuries-old trees for transforming them into beautiful and durable pieces. Thanks also to the rich nature of our beautiful Brazil, which presents us with an incredible variety of woods. A way of giving visibility to what human hands are capable of doing, which often cannot be replicated by machines. It’s a way of reinforcing the role of beauty in our lives. That beauty is what moves us, touches us deep inside our chest.
Ultimately, Chico Margarita’s customers buy art, beauty inspired by nature, creativity, exclusivity, sensitivity, elegant marquetry with innovative applications (curved planes, continuity on different sides of the piece, going beyond the boxes and smaller objects that we usually see), the reverence for wood and its natural characteristics, the ‘handmade’ with intuition, heart and soul, in addition to the personal, attentive, spontaneous, careful and committed service.
Awards received
Chico Margarita brings together some of the most important national and international awards.
2023
Bronze A’ Design Award (Milan/Italy) – HORÁCIO Bench
Veneer Tech Craftsman’s Challenge (NY/USA) – TUCA Panel
Good Design Awards (Chicago/USA) – HORÁCIO Bench
2022
8th Objeto Brasileiro Award at the A Casa Museum (São Paulo/Brazil) – CABRAL Stool
Luxembourg Art Prize (Luxembourg) – Artistic Merit, various pieces
2021
Luxembourg Art Prize (Luxemburgo) – Artistic Merit, various pieces
2018
32nd Museu da Casa Brasileira Design Award (São Paulo/Brazil)
LUIZA Lamp (awarded)
MARIAS Lamp (selected for exhibition)
Exhibitions
MADE 2023 – São Paulo, SP, Brazil
ABIMAD 2023 / Alma Brasileira – São Paulo, SP, Brazil
Casa Cor Ribeirão Preto 2023 (environment by architect Dulce Figueiredo Ferraz) – Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil
Fuorisalone 2024 – Brazilian Exhibition (Apex, Interni Cross Vision) – Milan, Italy
MADE 2024 – São Paulo, SP, Brazil