Olga Treivas: From Soviet Glass to Brazilian Craft in Integrated Design
Olga Treivas, an architect and designer originally from Moscow, heads the Treivas Architecture Bureau located in São Paulo, Brazil, where she specializes in collectible design and public architecture. Having transitioned from her career in Russia, she has adapted her materials to fit the Brazilian context. Her portfolio includes cut crystal glass inspired by Soviet history and woodwork adorned with embroidery that reflects traditional domestic practices. In a conversation with Bruno Sain from Juliet Art Magazine, Treivas elaborates on the architectural impact of her glasswork and her distinctive woodwork series 'Emma,' which incorporates hand embroidery. She also addresses the difficulties in Brazil, noting that local factories have co-opted her designs, connecting this issue to the 1920s 'Antropófago' movement. Treivas emphasizes the importance of cohesive architectural projects, highlighting the Boreal restaurant in Helsinki as a prime example.
Key facts
- Olga Treivas is a Moscow-born architect and designer.
- She founded the Treivas Architecture Bureau, a multidisciplinary studio in São Paulo, Brazil.
- Her work spans collectible design and public architecture.
- She was trained in Russia and exhibited in galleries and museums there.
- Her design practice includes two main lines: cut crystal glass and woodwork with embroidery.
- The 'Emma' series features hand embroidery on wood, never delegated.
- She participated in a mid-2000s program exploring traditional Russian crafts.
- Her glasswork explores hardness and brutality, not fragility.
- In Brazil, her designs have been appropriated by local factories without permission.
- She cites the 'Antropófago' movement of 1920s Brazilian modernists as cultural context.
- She designed the interior of the Boreal restaurant in Helsinki, with chandeliers grown from kombucha.
- The interview was conducted by Bruno Sain for Juliet Art Magazine.
Entities
Artists
- Olga Treivas
- Bruno Sain
- Tarsila do Amaral
- Oswald de Andrade
Institutions
- Treivas Architecture Bureau
- Juliet Art Magazine
Locations
- São Paulo
- Brazil
- Moscow
- Russia
- Helsinki
- Finland