John Graz

John Graz arrived in Brazil in 1920. He was a designer and decorator who created stained glass windows, furniture, and other decorative elements from 1923 onwards. He is considered one of the pioneers of the art deco style in São Paulo, along with Regina and Antonio Gomide.

Graz worked closely with Gregori Warchavchik, a Russian architect, and introduced tubular furniture made of metallic pipes and laminated wood with geometric shapes in São Paulo in 1925.

Graz's technical and manufacturing knowledge allowed him to oversee the production of these pieces himself. He also placed a great emphasis on the distribution of furniture in a space and its relationship with other decorative elements such as panels, stained glass, and frescoes, making his work innovative and integrated.However, the incipience of the Brazilian industry made it impossible to transform John Graz's prototypes into utensils produced on a large scale.