This article first appeared in The Edge Financial Daily, on November 12, 2015.

THEIR furniture designs are avant-garde to say the least, and at times downright curious, but Brazilian designers Humberto and Fernando Campana have built a name for themselves on innovative designs made from ordinary, commonplace materials that include scraps and waste products.

Based in Sao Paulo, the Campana brothers are renowned for their innovation, with their works exhibited in art galleries and museums around the world, including permanent pieces at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York.

Celebrating their 10th year partnership with fellow Brazilian brand Melissa shoes, the designers have launched the Barroca capsule collection, along with an exhibition at the Galeria Melissa from now until Feb 15 next year.

Barroca — The Harmony of Imperfection is an art exhibition that displays two fundamental phases of the Campana brothers’ Baroque works, including references to iron and bronze works of florals, angels and wings, as well as novel elements such as barrettes, scissors, screws and other nature forms.

Walking into the immersive space, the visitor is immediately drawn into a dreamy dimension with an ornate PAMPHILI ceiling lamp in gilded bronze, while their signature mesh design covering the space gives a sense of texture and also disorientation.

The same aesthetics are applied to the latest Melissa + Campana Baroque inspired collection, which draws from Brazilian sensibilities, from the colour scheme to its sense of eclectic, creative chaos. Their interpretation fuses both the Baroque Roman ornamental art with the modern Brazilian lifestyle. The result is a symbol of contemporary art that also pays homage to the past.  

Fourteen designs ranging from ballet flats to flip flops, high-heeled sandals to tennis shoes and purses have been created, adding to the extensive archive of Melissa shoes created by the designer brothers.

The Barroca collection will be available in Malaysia in spring/summer 2016. The free exhibition is currently on display at Galeria Melissa, 43 King St, Covent Garden, London.