For the first time in Poland and Europe, visitors will have the chance to see the works of Jorge Zalszupin – one of the most influential figures of global modernism. A Polish artist born in Warsaw as Jerzy Zalszupin in a Jewish family, who became an icon of Brazilian architecture and design. His creations continue to inspire architects and designers around the world, appear at art fairs and auctions, and have been exhibited at New York’s MoMA. The exhibition “Warsaw – São Paulo – Warsaw” will be open to the public from 6 September to 19 October 2025, at the Gawroński Villa, located at Al. Ujazdowskie 23, Warsaw. The event is organised by the Visteria Foundation.
A Genius with Polish Roots
Jerzy Zalszupin was born into a Jewish family in Warsaw in 1922. It was there, in Poland, that he first encountered a book illustrated with Le Corbusier’s drawings. As he would later recall, that was a moment of revelation. He was only fifteen years old, but already knew that architecture would become his life’s path. The outbreak of World War II forced him and his family to flee Poland. Zalszupin would later comment, that he survived thanks to a “series of miracles”. In 1939, he and his family took shelter in Romania. There, he earned a degree in architecture from Bucharest University. He then moved to France, but did not stay there long – he wanted to escape war-torn Europe. Zalszupin began the next chapter of his life in São Paulo – a modern, vibrant Brazilian city. He changed his name to Jorge in a symbolic gesture that reflected commitment to his new homeland. Despite this, he never forgot his Polish roots, which remained an integral part of his identity.
Career in Brazil
Jerzy Zalszupin arrived in Brazil in 1949. Zalszupin began his career in São Paulo at the studio of the Polish architect, Lucjan Korngold. Just two years later, he established his own studio and furniture manufactory – L’Atelier – and, with great precision and sensitivity to form, went on to master the techniques of bending and moulding exotic woods. His projects soon earned recognition for their unique design and high-quality workmanship, making him one of the leading figures of the so-called golden age of Brazilian design and architecture.
In 1962, Zalszupin was invited by Oscar Niemeyer – one of the most outstanding architects of the 20th century – to join a team responsible for designing furniture for government buildings in the newly emerging capital, Brasília. His iconic designs, such as the Presidencial armchair and elegant desks made of jacaranda wood, have become symbols of Brazilian modernism. As an architect, he also participated in the design of public and office buildings as well as residential homes, remaining faithful to the ideas of modern urban planning and functional beauty.
Return to Poland
Today, through the exhibition “Warsaw – São Paulo – Warsaw”, Jerzy Zalszupin symbolically returns to the city where his life journey began – the capital of Poland. The exhibition will comprise approximately thirty of his designs, including the iconic first Dinamarquesa armchair, the organic forms of the Pétalas tables, and the minimalist seat and sofa designs. Other objects on display will include, among others, a tea trolley inspired by memories of Zalszupin's childhood in Poland, as well as architectural designs, original sketches, photographs, and material documenting presenting the history of his company, L’Atelier. The exhibition will also invite visitors into Zalszupin’s private world, highlighting his family home in São Paulo, and will reveal him not only as a master of modernism, but also as a devoted husband and father of two daughters. The architect’s family home, Casa Zalszupin, currently functions as an archive and exhibition space.
– Our aim is to restore the legacy of this remarkable architect and designer – to bring his work back into the public eye in Poland and to remind the global audience of his legacy. This exhibition will mark one of the most important cultural events of autumn, not only in Poland, but also across Europe. My goal is for Warsaw to become a true capital of modern craftsmanship and design and for events of this kind to permanently reshape how these two fields of art, firmly embedded in Polish cultural heritage, are perceived. – says Katarzyna Jordan, the founder of Visteria Foundation and the exhibition’s organiser.
The exhibition “Warsaw – São Paulo – Warsaw” is one of the many premieres planned by the Visteria Foundation for the coming years, highlighting the work of leading figures in craftsmanship and design. This autumn event is the continuation of a broader mission to promote Polish artists – not only locally, but also on the international stage.
– The show is the first comprehensive presentation in Poland and Europe of the work of one of the most significant figures in 20th-century design, Jerzy Zalszupin. The exhibition’s aim is to introduce the public to Zalszupin’s unique creative philosophy, modernist sensibilities, and his significant contribution to the development of Brazilian design and architecture. It also seeks to inscribe his achievements into the canon of Polish visual culture – adds Maria Murawsky, the exhibition’s curator and designer.
The Warsaw exhibition has been organised by the Visteria Foundation in collaboration with Lissa Carmona and her company, ETEL, which is dedicated to preserving Jerzy Zalszupin’s legacy.
– In 1998, when he was seventy-six years old and about to retire, we met Jorge. He was ready for the next big step. He was calm and quiet, but he still had a sparkle in his eye. That meeting was the starting point of a collaboration that not only brought his iconic furniture back to life, but also reawakened his creativity. Once again, Jorge began designing new objects. In 2008, almost forty years since he created his last piece of furniture, he designed the Veronica armchair, named in honour of his eldest daughter. Our intensive collaboration with Jorge lasted over twenty years and continues today with the help of his daughters. Today, his legacy has gained global recognition: his works are now featured in major collections, auctions, and art fairs around the world – says Lissa Carmona, the managing director of ETEL.
Jorge Zalszupin passed away in 2020. Four years later, his designs were presented at the exhibition “Crafting Modernity: Design in Latin America, 1940–1980” at the MoMA, New York.
The exhibition’s organiser, the Visteria Foundation, focuses on showcasing Polish art, craft, and design. Its aim is to act as a platform for education in this field, as well as a partner institution to similar organisations across Europe. The Foundation launched its activities during this year’s Milan Design Week, where it presented the exhibition “Romantic Brutalism”, recognised by The New York Times as one of the twelve most important exhibitions of this edition of the event. In May, the exhibition travelled to Warsaw and presented at the Gawroński Villa, where it attracted over 20,000 visitors over the course of two weeks.
ETEL is a brand dedicated to preserving and promoting design understood as a form of artistic expression. In an effort to popularise the legacy of great modernist architects and designers, ETEL revives and preserves iconic works that have shaped the identity of Brazilian furniture-making.
“Warsaw – São Paulo – Warsaw”
The exhibition is open from 6 September to 19 October 2025, Tuesday to Sunday, 12 – 19
Address: Gawroński Villa, Al. Ujazdowskie 23, Warsaw
