Ricardo Fasanello was born in São Paulo, in 1930. He began demonstrating his talent at a young age, designing and building a sailboat at the age of 14, and by 18, he was building lofts of his design. Young beau, chasing excitement and speed, he almost lost his life after violently crashing his Porsche Spyder 550 on his way from São Paulo to Rio de Janeiro. After meeting his soon to be wife Countess Olivia Tarnowska, Ricardo slowed down and moved to a bohemian neighborhood in Rio. There he spent his days between exotic pets and his life passion, building race cars.
Functionality and the use of artisanal tools in the execution of an industrial design are the hallmarks of Fasanello’s furniture. His work blends unmistakable Brazilian aesthetics with cool sophistication.
The truly creative work turned out by the Atelier reflects solutions that arise during the production of a piece. The artist shows unparalleled skill in harmonizing contrasts while drawing on his technical knowledge of materials in order to extract the best results from them.
His spiral mind conceived round shapes armchairs swiveling to induce the art of conversation. At a time when modern design tends to become quickly obsolete, Ricardo Fasanello remains consistent and present to resist the passage of time.
Photograph © Marcia Ramalho