M&O Americas – Designer of The Year 2015

MO Américas - Designer of The Year 2015 6

An essential part of the DNA of M&O, is the award for the Designer of the Year. With the first edition of Maison & Objet Americas in Miami, the M&O Americas board announced the brazillian designer Zanini de Zanine as the Designer of the Year 2015. It is believed that this award is an essential first step in providing a solid cultural context for the inaugural fair that will take place in Miami Beach.

Born in Rio de Janeiro in 1978, Zanini de Zanine stayed in Rio to study industrial design. He is the son of designer-architect José Zanine Caldas, who collaborated most notably with Oscar Niemeyer. Zanini grew up in an atmosphere illuminated with architecture, design and even sculpture.

He says of his father who like many of the great architects of the 20th century was an autodidact, “He always told me to place high value on my own culture, as well as to learn to interpret it then vehicle it through my work. To move beyond my comfort zone.”
Zanini received his Masters degree in industrial design from the Puc-Rio University in 2002, and shortly after decided to launch a production of massive wooden pieces. The interesting part is that the material came entirely from construction demolition sites. He also developed a range of industrial furniture made from sustainable wood, and from other materials like plastic, methacrylate or metal.

Through the creation of Studio Zanini in 2011, he brought together office, research lab and showroom together to represent the multifaceted universe of the designer. Three important aspects of design are emphasized: conception, production, distribution.
Many collaborations include Poltrona Frau, Cappellini, Slamp and Tolix, while his work has appeared in cultural institutions like New York’s Museum of Arts and Design (MAD). It can also be found in books, magazines, trade journals and newspapers, and seen in exhibitions in Brazil and abroad.