Carlo Hauner & Martin Eisler

Carlo Hauner and Martin Eisler were central figures in the development of mid-century modern furniture in Brazil, merging European design discipline with the optimism and material innovation of postwar Latin America.

Hauner, born in Brescia, Italy, studied at the Accademia di Belle Arti di Brera in Milan and arrived in Brazil in 1948. In São Paulo, he founded Móveis Artesanal in 1950, a company dedicated to producing contemporary furniture aligned with the emerging modernist architectural landscape. In 1951, together with his brother Ernesto Hauner, he acquired the Pau-Brasil factory from Lina Bo Bardi and Pietro Maria Bardi, establishing a production base that would soon evolve.

Eisler, an Austrian architect and scenographer, studied in Vienna before relocating to Argentina during World War II. There he founded Interieur in 1945, beginning his work in furniture design. His arrival in Brazil in the mid-1950s led to a partnership with Hauner at Móveis Artesanal, where he became art director and a key creative force in the company’s evolution into Forma, alongside partners such as Ernesto Wolf.

Together, Hauner and Eisler shaped a coherent modernist language defined by structural clarity, balanced proportions, and a strong focus on comfort. Their production explored new materials and finishes, and played a decisive role in defining the visual identity of Brazilian modern furniture in the 1950s and 1960s, with international reach that later included collaborations with Knoll International.