Crafting the Future marks a pivotal moment in Lucas Recchia’s ongoing exploration of materials, form, and craftsmanship. Renowned as one of the leading voices in contemporary Brazilian design today, Lucas Recchia (b. 1992) seamlessly blends traditional techniques with contemporary aesthetics. Unlike many of his contemporaries, Recchia focuses on creating works that transcend trends—his pieces are designed to age beautifully and last for generations. In this new body of work, he expands his practice with new processes and refined materiality.
Among the highlights of this exhibition is the Zel table, an evolution of Recchia’s Morfa collection. The table introduces metal in geometric forms—suns and stars—integrated directly into molten glass. As the metal oxidizes during the heating process, it creates unique textures, bubbles, and figurative elements, resulting in one-of-a-kind pieces that combine humor with sculptural depth. The Mosai collection continues Recchia’s exploration of glass, incorporating color and opacity. By assembling small colored glass sheets like mosaics and fusing them together, Recchia creates dynamic effects where light interacts with the material, transforming the surrounding space.
Two new pieces from the Janelas collection make their debut: a sideboard crafted from rare Vitória Regia quartzite, presented for the first time in New York, and a new model of coffee table created specifically for this exhibition. The coffee table features black marble with a raw, textured surface, contrasted by vibrant yellow glass. These pieces highlight the contrast between solid, natural materials and the fluidity of glass, creating striking visual dynamics.
The Material Distortion collection, launched in New York in September 2024, also expands in this exhibition, with new mirrors, patinated coffee tables, and centerpieces. These solid bronze pieces exude a sculptural presence, interacting with their environment to transform the space they occupy. Made to order, these visually light and colorful pieces take 120 days to craft, emphasizing Recchia's commitment to precision and artistic integrity. Additionally, Recchia will feature two works that reinforce his signature approach to blending materials in ways that bring life to any space—Halo, a sideboard made of curved bronze rods and glass, and Tripede, a dynamic bronze table.“While I admire the legacy of Modernism, I don’t understand why a country so rich in natural resources should limit itself to producing furniture that explores only wood,” says Lucas Recchia. “My focus has been to highlight the potential of other materials that are just as Brazilian.”
Crafting the Future showcases Recchia’s ongoing exploration of materiality, form, and craftsmanship, where each piece not only captivates visually but is designed to endure, evolving with time. From the coastal town of Florianopolis in the south of Brazil, Recchia initially studied business administration, law, graphic design and advertising, before completing an architecture degree in 2021 at Mackenzie Presbyterian University in São Paulo. He turned his hand to furniture design while still a student, earning his first solo show at Firma Casa, a gallery in the same city known for fostering emerging talent and showcasing bold design by the likes of the Campana Brothers. In 2021, he became the first from his country to be represented by legendary Milan-based design maven Rossana Orlandi. In addition to his work with renowned architects and designers such as Kelly Wearstler, Sig Bergamin, Steven Harris and Marcio Kogan, Lucas has collaborated with a host of global fashion brands including Off-White, Dior, and Louis Vuitton, contributing custom pieces to retail spaces across the globe.
