Sergio Rodrigues has been dubbed the father of Brazilian furniture. He was responsible for establishing a new paradigm in design, setting himself apart with his own personal language in his quest for a clearly recognizable Brazilian identity.
Rodrigues' signature piece designed in 1961, the "Mole" armchair (meaning "soft" in Portuguese) comprises a solid rounded wood frame, adjustable leather support straps and floppy, over-sized luxurious leather cushions.
Robust and extremely comfortable, the Mole sparked an international design trend that favoured comfort, and a new attention to scale, over the rigid and sterile concurrent design trends.
In 1961 the Mole was awarded first prize at the Fourth International Furniture Bienal in Italy. It is also included in the permanent collection of MoMA in New York.
