The Campana Brothers, Fernando and Humberto are once again here to impress us with their stylish, cutting-edge, conceptual work at the Albion Gallery in London. True to the Campana Brothers’ repute, the Transplastic collection sums up the brothers’ design trajectory, which mulls over material clashes like plastic and natural fiber. The prototype pieces on display combine traditional woven Apui fibre with cheap plastic chairs, crude timber constructions and steel structures.

The collection includes regular chairs, multiple-seating chairs, lamps, illuminated meteors, clouds and islands that have been crafted by taking benefit of the elasticity of natural fibre. Every piece is handcrafted with a very distinctive Brazilian fibre called apui. The woven fibre seems to be repressing the plastic furniture beneath.

Interestingly, the extraction of this fibre helps conserve the biodiversity of the forests as apui suffocates and kills the trees from which they grow. Moreover, these fibres are exctracted without using any tools or processes that might harm the trees.

In the old times, all the brazilian terraces and semi-outdoor cafes were endowed with wicker pieces. But, slowly and slowly, long-lasting plastic replaced the wicker pieces. The Campana Brothers hope to reinstate the old custom of wicker furniture in a hybrid and playful manner with the Transplastic collection. The exhibition will run until August 10, 2007.

via DesignBoom