Carlo Hauner and Martin Eisler

About

Martin Eisler (1913-1977) and Carlo Hauner (1927-1997) were the primary designers for the iconic Brazilian furniture company, Forma. Their work spans four countries and several decades. And, their abundance is left to discover, though their exceptional, unique works that are already highly sought as examples of the vibrant modern movement in South America. Born in Brescia, Italy, Carlo Hauner studied design in Milan and later immigrated to Brazil after World War II. He began a furniture production company and purchased a factory owned by Lina Bo Bardi and Pietro Bardi, renaming it Móveis Artesanal. Born in Vienna, Austria, Martin Eisler studied architecture in Austria. He moved to Buenos Aires, Argentina, in 1938, where he began exhibiting his furniture designs. He met Hauner in Brazil and soon started traveling there frequently to collaborate on designs. They founded Forma with E. J. Wolf, who became the company’s director to sell their own designs as well as pieces licensed from Knoll International.