Zanine was born in Belmonte, Bahia. A talented self-taught artist, he set up a model workshop in the 1940s, later teaching his technique to architecture students at the University of São Paulo. In 1949, in partnership with Sebastião Pontes, he founded Fábrica de Móveis Z, which produced a lot of collapsible furniture. He also designed houses, worked in landscaping and produced sculptural solid wood furniture.