Onda Bench

Jorge Zalszupin trained as an architect at the École des Beaux-Arts in Bucharest before practising in Paris, then relocated to Brazil in 1949, drawn by the work of Oscar Niemeyer and Roberto Burle Marx. In the 1950s he founded L'Atelier in São Paulo, a workshop devoted to sculptural furniture in native Brazilian hardwoods, above all jacaranda and rosewood. His pieces were chosen by Niemeyer to furnish the Palácio da Alvorada and Palácio do Planalto in Brasília, cementing his place among the giants of Brazilian mid-century modernism.

The Onda ("Wave") bench with magazine rack is one of Zalszupin's most sculptural designs for Atelier Moveis, its long undulating rosewood form doubling as seating and integrated storage. This example, produced in the 1950s, shows the fluid lines, warm patina, and precise joinery that defined his output — furniture conceived as architecture at human scale.