Giuseppe Scapinelli (1891-1982) was an Italian designer, born in Modena, but who lived his whole life in Sao Paolo, Brazil. There he founded both a furniture company, Fábrica de Móveis Giesse, and a rug company, Fábrica de Tapetes Santa Helena in the 1950s. He used Brazilian wood in non-traditional ways, finding a unique identity in the looping curved lines of his furniture. His typical rounded, sensual curves and clean lines echoed to his Italian origins. This set him apart from other Brazilian designers of the time, yet he fell into obscurity after his death, only to now be reinstated among the ranks of great 20th century designers.
