Jorge zalszupin biography facts

Jorge Zalszupin was a Polish-Brazilian architect and designer noted for modern design.
Zalszupin was born in Poland in 1922, although his design career didn't start until after World War II, when he emigrated to Brazil.
He was born Jerzy Zalszupin on 1 June 1922 in Warsaw, Poland to Jewish parents.

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Obituary / Jorge Zalszupin

Jorge Zalszupin
PHOTOGRAPH: Gui Gai

JORGE ZALSZUPIN, THE Polish-born Brazilian designer considered one of the leading talents of Brazil’s Modern Movement, has passed away. He was 98 years old. Originally an architect, Zalszupin moved to Brazil in 1949, inspired by the architecture of Oscar Niemeyer, which was then beginning to be featured in European publications. In Brazil he found fertile ground in which to develop his design sensibility and aesthetic, working there at a time when other European ex-pats like Lina Bo Bardi and Joaquim Tenreiro were also beginning to develop a unique version of Modern design.

Jorge Zalszupin, ‘Tea Trolley JZ’, 1959, reissue by Etel 2006
COURTESY: Etel / PHOTOGRAPH: Fernando Laszlo

Initially, his furniture designs were meant to furnish his architectural projects, but slowly that developed into a practice of its own, culminating in the launch of L’Atelier, his design and manufacturing firm. “L’Atelier is an important reference, a milestone for Brazilian design in many

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Jorge Zalszupin

Jorge Zalszupin (b. 1922), a native of Warsaw, Poland, studied architecture at Bucharest’s Ecole des Beaux Arts. While working as an architect in Paris, he found inspiration in articles about Brazilians Oscar Niemeyer and Roberto Burle Marx and immigrated to Brazil. Zalszupin’s professional life took off in the Rio de Janeiro studio of Polish-speaking architect Luciano Korngold though he eventually settled in Sao Paulo, where he began designing furniture.

In 1959, Zalszupin started the furniture firm L’Atelier. Emphasizing a high level of craftsmanship, L’Atelier saw near-immediate success and eventually had two factories producing his designs.

Zalszupin was heavily inspired by Danish design and while he was known for his refined work in jacaranda and other Brazilian woods, he also expanded his repertoire to include plastics. L’Atelier thrived in Brazil, having ten shops at the height of Zalszupin’s career. His furniture also won numerous commissions, including in Brasilia. Jorge Zalszupin is considered one of Brazil’s m

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Jorge Zalszupin (b.1922, Poland), was a Polish-Brazilian architect and designer noted for modern design. He was born in Warsaw, Poland. At the age of 18 he moved to Bucharest to escape Nazi occupation, graduating from Romania’s top architecture program in 1944. He began his career as an architect in France, rebuilding after WWII. Here, the lasting weight of war and unrelenting reverence for history and its traditions took a toll on this modernist eager to move forward.In 1949, he emigrated to Brazil, excited by the possibilities in a country that was rapidly modernising and becoming more politically and culturally progressive at equal pace. He was also deeply inspired by the innovative work of Oscar Niemeyer In the 1950s Zalszupin founded L'Atelier, a furniture design manufacturer in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Graceful lines, strong use of local woods and a combination of impeccable woodworking and classical detailing mark Zalszupin’s furniture. Zalszupin's one-off designs were included by Oscar Niemeyer in the Palácio da Alvorada and the Palácio do Planalto.