Ricardo Fasanello
Esfera Lounge Armchair1968, manufactured 1974

On view: David Geffen GalleriesTurmoil and Optimism in Latin America

Lounge chair with a spherical espresso-brown glossy shell, camel tan suede interior cushioning, and a circular brushed-metal pedestal base

Lounge chair with a deep-brown spherical shell exterior cradling a tufted tan upholstered seat, mounted on a polished circular metal pedestal base.

Lounge chair with a spherical dark brown fiberglass shell cradling tufted tan upholstered seat and backrest cushions, mounted on a polished chrome disc base.

Gourd vessel with deep brown exterior and tan interior, rounded hemispherical form mounted on a flat circular metal base; a small incised mark visible near the rim.

Artist or Maker: Ricardo Fasanello
Brazil, 1930-1993
Title: Esfera Lounge Armchair
Place Made: Brazil, Rio de Janeiro
Date Made: 1968, manufactured 1974
Medium: Fiberglass, polyester resin, suede, and stainless steel
Dimensions: 35 1/2 × 44 × 42 in. (90.17 × 111.76 × 106.68 cm)
Credit Line: Purchased with funds provided by the Bernard and Edith Lewin Collection of Mexican Art Deaccession Fund
Accession Number: M.2023.33a-c
Classification: Furnishings
Collecting Area: Latin American Art
Curatorial Notes: São Paulo−born Ricardo Fasanello first ventured into the world of design with the dream of creating race cars. After relocating to Rio de Janeiro, he shifted his focus to furniture production. The Esfera (Sphere) lounge armchair, first created in 1968, is one of Fasanello’s most famous designs. He employed his signature tortoiseshell fiberglass to fashion a half-sphere that holds suede cushions. This futuristic design reimagines the silhouette of the chair, reflecting Fasanello’s lifelong fascination with speed and aerodynamics. His use of fiberglass and polyester resin—materials frequently associated with industrial design—represented a significant innovation for modern furniture in Brazil.

LACMA’s chair swivels on a stainless-steel base, which Fasanello used only in his earliest versions of the Esfera. In later iterations, which remain in production to this day, he replaced the metal base with fiberglass to make the chair lighter. This Esfera is one of two sold to Brazilian ambassador Italo Mastrogiovanni in 1974. The pair traveled the world to the ambassador’s postings in Geneva, Porto, and Abidjan, showcasing Brazilian design on an international scale before returning to São Paulo.

Rachel Kaplan

2024
Provenance: Italo Mastrogiovanni (1932–2021, São Paulo, Geneva, Porto, and Abidjan), 1974; by inheritance to his wife Mariela Mastrogiovanni, São Paulo, 2021; Andrea Tarnowski Fasanello, Rio de Janeiro, 2022; LACMA, 2023.

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Futuristic Furnishings and Time for Tea: Two Recent Acquisitions of Brazilian Design

May 23, 2025
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Ricardo Fasanello
Esfera Lounge Armchair1968, manufactured 1974

On view: David Geffen GalleriesTurmoil and Optimism in Latin America

Artist or Maker: Ricardo Fasanello
Brazil, 1930-1993
Title: Esfera Lounge Armchair
Place Made: Brazil, Rio de Janeiro
Date Made: 1968, manufactured 1974
Medium: Fiberglass, polyester resin, suede, and stainless steel
Dimensions: 35 1/2 × 44 × 42 in. (90.17 × 111.76 × 106.68 cm)
Credit Line: Purchased with funds provided by the Bernard and Edith Lewin Collection of Mexican Art Deaccession Fund
Accession Number: M.2023.33a-c
Classification: Furnishings
Collecting Area: Latin American Art
Curatorial Notes: São Paulo−born Ricardo Fasanello first ventured into the world of design with the dream of creating race cars. After relocating to Rio de Janeiro, he shifted his focus to furniture production. The Esfera (Sphere) lounge armchair, first created in 1968, is one of Fasanello’s most famous designs. He employed his signature tortoiseshell fiberglass to fashion a half-sphere that holds suede cushions. This futuristic design reimagines the silhouette of the chair, reflecting Fasanello’s lifelong fascination with speed and aerodynamics. His use of fiberglass and polyester resin—materials frequently associated with industrial design—represented a significant innovation for modern furniture in Brazil.

LACMA’s chair swivels on a stainless-steel base, which Fasanello used only in his earliest versions of the Esfera. In later iterations, which remain in production to this day, he replaced the metal base with fiberglass to make the chair lighter. This Esfera is one of two sold to Brazilian ambassador Italo Mastrogiovanni in 1974. The pair traveled the world to the ambassador’s postings in Geneva, Porto, and Abidjan, showcasing Brazilian design on an international scale before returning to São Paulo.

Rachel Kaplan

2024
Provenance: Italo Mastrogiovanni (1932–2021, São Paulo, Geneva, Porto, and Abidjan), 1974; by inheritance to his wife Mariela Mastrogiovanni, São Paulo, 2021; Andrea Tarnowski Fasanello, Rio de Janeiro, 2022; LACMA, 2023.

Related Unframed

Futuristic Furnishings and Time for Tea: Two Recent Acquisitions of Brazilian Design

May 23, 2025
Rachel Kaplan