Forma Brazil was originally founded by Carlo Hauner (1927–1997) as a retail store to sell his furniture under the Moveis Artesanal brand. This was his first endeavor into the Furniture business, and he quickly partnered with a Brazilian ceramics maker, H. Cerâmica. Through this partnership, he opened a retail store called Forma. Eventually, he would merge Moveis Artesanal and Forma into one brand, and he would keep the name Forma.
Vintage Press Clipping featuring Costela Lounge Chairs, Presented by Moveis Artesanal, Forma Moveis E Objetos De Artes. This is an Example of a publication from before the company that was consolidated under the overarching brand of Forma
Before he came to be a partner at Forma, Martin Eisler (1913–1977) was forced to flee Nazi-controlled Austria in 1938. Eisler ended up in Buenos Aires, where he became an architect, interior designer, and furniture maker. At some point in the late 40s or early 1950s, he came to São Paulo to work on an apartment he was hired to design, and he contracted Moveis Artesanal to build his furniture designs for the home. Just a few years later, he had moved to São Paulo and become an established architect and designer. By 1953, Eisler and Hauner had joined together as Partners to run Forma as a furniture manufacturer and retailer.
Martin Eisler Pictured above
By the late 1950s, Hauner had returned to Italy and opened a Forma store there. This was an unsuccessful endeavor, and eventually he would move away from Furniture and return to his training as a painter. Hauner left Eisler to run the company without him. Under Eisler, Forma would partner with Knoll and become an official retailer of all Knoll products, which is seen as an important moment in the diffusion of modernist design in Brazil.
The company remained in operation into the early 2000s, though production of Forma designs slowed considerably following Martin Eisler's death in 1977. Eisler was the major mind and creative director of Forma from the late 50s until his death.
Pair of “Costela” Armchairs in Brazilian Hardwood & Olive Mohair, Martin Eisler, Brazil, 1956 — Lot 754A
Forma's furniture occupies a unique place within Brazilian Modernism. Designers such as Joaquim Tenreiro, Giuseppe Scapinelli, and later Sérgio Rodrigues became renowned for celebrating the extraordinary beauty of Brazil's native hardwoods, allowing richly figured rosewood and caviúna to dominate their designs.
3 in 1 Extendable Dining Table in Caviuna Wood by Carlo Hauner & Martin Eisler, Brazil, 1950s - Lot 18
Forma certainly embraced these exceptional materials, but Hauner and Eisler approached furniture from a different perspective. Rather than allowing wood to define every piece, they frequently combined rosewood, leather, iron, and steel into compositions that emphasized structure as much as material. Their work often feels lighter, more architectural, and more closely aligned with European Modernism than much of the furniture being produced elsewhere in Brazil. Designs like the Costela defined this style and made this more industrial modernist vision popular across Brazil.(Learn more about the history of the Costela)
Photo taken from Vintage Brazilian Publication Representing Forma produced designs. Shown on the left is a Costela Lounge Chair and on the right is a Concha Armchair and a Martin Eisler Designed Coffee Table.
Set of Six Dining Chairs in Metal and Boucle by Carlo Hauner, Brazil, 1950s - Lot 397B
This influence is particularly evident in their use of slender metal frames, welded steel structures, and exposed iron supports. Unlike many Brazilian manufacturers of the period, Forma was comfortable allowing metal to become a defining visual element rather than simply a hidden structural component. Some of the company's most celebrated designs, including the Concha Armchair, eliminate wood, relying solely on sculptural steel frames and generous upholstery to create their distinctive forms.
Brazilian Modern “Concha” Armchairs in Iron and Dedar's Blue Mohair, Carlo Hauner, Brazil, 1950s — Lot 83C
Today, Forma is recognized as one of the defining names in Brazilian Mid-Century Modern design. Its furniture successfully merged European modernist discipline with the warmth, craftsmanship, and comfort that distinguish Brazilian design.