We, as the Designer Interviews ("DI") had the distinct pleasure and opportunity to interview award-winning, most creative and innovative Brazil & Murgel ("B&M").
The designers Fabio Brazil and Henrique Murgel explore the concrete and the intangible – shapes, textures, colors, smells and tastes are all sources of inspiration for creations in multiple areas. The duo founded in 2010 a contemporary handmade jewelry brand Brazil & Murgel in São Paulo - Brazil. Through their unique and special pieces, they reproduce the light, shadow, movement, sounds and sensations. The studio has achieved, so far, 13 design awards and 30+ exhibitions in 7 countries.
Brazil & Murgel Designs
We are pleased to share with you original and innovative design work by Brazil & Murgel.
Brazil & Murgel Design - Dengo Chocolate Bar
Designer Interview of Brazil & Murgel:
DI: Can you tell us more about your company / design studio?
B&M : Founded in 2010 by the designers Fabio Brazil and Henrique Murgel, B&M is a small jewellery design company based in São Paulo, Brasil, that offers contemporary pieces made with traditional techniques. In a short period of time, the designers have attained public and press recognition by winning national and international design awards.
DI: What is "design" for you?
B&M : Design is a means to meet peoples needs and pleasures.
DI: What is your favorite material / platform / technology?
B&M : We like to explore a variety of materials and production processes. Each one of them offers different possibilities in shapes, textures, colours, allowing us to have rich and unique results.
DI: When do you feel the most creative?
B&M : Whenever we break our routines, such as travelling or pretending to be tourists in our own cities like going to museums, theaters and restaurants with our mind wide open to rich inputs. Despite of that, we always try to observe every detail around us.
DI: Which aspects of a design do you focus more during designing?
B&M : We usually start a project with a concept, and only after that we start thinking about shapes, materials, production, prices, target audiences.. but there are times when we come across with a gemstone or a different material that becomes the beginning of a new idea.
DI: What makes a design successful?
B&M : A successful design speaks for itself and it has a life of its own. It inspires people, solves problems and makes emotional connections with its user.
DI: From your point of view, what are the responsibilities of a designer for society and environment?
B&M : The designer must understand the problems and wishes of the society. Most of the time, people doesn’t know how they can improve their daily life, or what might bring more joy to their lives. Thus, the designer must consider the culture, the region, the final users, the materials and production processes, and even the afterlife of a product, always thinking of the economic and environmental impacts that the product will have in near and far future. The designer must question himself: Can he employ regional workforce? Can he use regional materials, or optimize transportation during and after the production process? How long will the product last in the hands of the user? Are the materials consistent with this life cycle? If all of this is done by a multidisciplinary team, it will most likely achieve a successful solution.
DI: When was your last exhibition and where was it? And when do you want to hold your next exhibition?
B&M : Our last exhibition took place in Brazil, at the Oscar Niemeyer Museum (MON) in the city of Curitiba, Paraná, from September 2013 to February 2014. The exhibition named “The Best of Brazilian Design” was conceived to present the winners of the IDEA/Brasil Design Award 2013. We are looking forward to our next exhibition in Como, Italy, in August 2014, where we will have the opportunity to show three of our pieces awarded by the A’Design Awards and Competition.
DI: Where does the design inspiration for your works come from? How do you feed your creativity? What are your sources of inspirations?
B&M : We are inspired by elements found in nature and our surroundings. Through our jewellery we reproduce the light, shadow, movement of things in space, sounds, music and taste. All this turns into colors, textures and shapes that can play with the perception of the beholder.
DI: How can people contact you?
B&M : People can contact us by the contact form in our website www.brazil-murgel.com or by the phone numbers +55 11 996 126 546 and +55 11 999 402 172.