Philia
Magazine

Hanna Englund is a Swedish ceramic artist based in Rio de Janeiro. With a background in fashion and product design across Stockholm and Shanghai, she turned to ceramics after moving to Brazil, drawn by the meditative and tactile nature of working with clay.

Her sculptural practice merges Scandinavian restraint with the organic vitality of Rio. Inspired by the human body and tropical landscapes, Englund creates hand-built and cast works that explore form, texture, and materiality. Often incorporating molds made from tropical fruits, her pieces celebrate the shapes and rhythms of Brazilian culture while maintaining a timeless and understated sensibility. Working from her Rio studio, she produces sculptures, lighting, and vessels distinguished by their raw elegance, material honesty, and enduring presence.

PROSA was created in 2021 by the couple Júlia Rovigo and Gabriel Pesca. An architect and a woodworker, respectively, this project emerged from their desire to combine their experiences and translate them into the design and execution of furniture.

PROSA is dedicated to extensive research and investigation of wood as a material. The studio revives knowledge and techniques from classic naval carpentry for the execution of its works, where strength and durability meet organic curves and forms.

All of their creations incorporate experimental elements in handling wood, seeking new ways to understand and explore its natural characteristics. Their products are made with a focus on nature, the people who inhabit it, and the future of the interaction between the two.

Studio Gaïa is a French design studio founded by Liza Mimouni and Deborah Elfassy in 2021. Rooted in a shared passion for craftsmanship and material exploration, the studio creates collectible furniture and objects that celebrate the natural beauty of stone, ceramic, and mineral surfaces through refined forms and meticulous detailing.

Working with exceptional materials sourced from skilled artisans, Studio Gaïa develops made-to-order pieces distinguished by timeless elegance, thoughtful craftsmanship, and a contemporary approach to natural materiality.

Estudio Orth is a multidisciplinary furniture and interior design studio based in São Paulo. Founded in 2018, it is led by the couple Seba Orth (designer) and Luísa Bianchetti (visual artist), who have been guiding the studio from its foundation.

With a maximalist palette of materials in service of a minimalist language, its work presents a sculptural approach to functional items such as lighting fixtures, seating, tables, rugs, and everyday accessory objects. Its practice engages with themes such as symbolism and brutalism, exploring forms that move between organicity and rationality.

All pieces are meticulously handcrafted by master artisans, one at a time. In the creative process, ancestral techniques such as metal casting, solid wood carpentry, and the use of exotic Brazilian stones lend material identity and maturity to the products.

Jefferson Aver is the creative force behind Aver Design, a Brazilian artist whose work is driven by continuous research and experimentation. He seeks to uncover the essence of each material, using it to express a wide interpretation through lighting and objects. The brand is dedicated to creating sculptural pieces that move between art and design, tradition and modernity, with a focus on local materials, especially Brazilian natural stones.

Marthine Spinnangr is a Norwegian designer and sculptor based in Oslo whose practice explores the relationship between sculpture, craft, and functional objects. Inspired by the quiet beauty of the coastline—weathered shells, softened stones, and the gentle movement of water—she develops intuitive forms that emerge through a tactile and contemplative making process.

Working primarily with ceramics, Spinnangr creates handcrafted sculptures and collectible objects that balance sculptural expression with everyday function. Rooted in a dialogue between art and design, her work celebrates organic forms, material sensitivity, and the subtle poetry of the natural world.