Bete Said: The alchemy of African memory and contemporary design

From Ribeirão Preto to Milan, Brazilian designer transforms Afro-Brazilian essence into objects that intertwine past, present and future

In just three years of authorial career, designer Bete Said has gained national and international recognition by creating pieces that combine Brazilian materials, such as soapstone and imbuia wood, with technology and cultural identity. Her Ojo mirror, her first authorial project, won the Salão Design Award in 2023, and the Nagô collection was presented at Fuorisalone in Milan.

Bete Said

The designer’s trajectory began in childhood, amongst mechanical parts in her father’s industrial accessories shop. It was only in 2023, during a creative immersion at Design Tank, that Bete found her authorial voice. “Creating from my country’s natural resources is a way of affirming Brazilian identity”, she states.

Duality between tradition and innovation

Bete’s work reveals a duality characteristic of contemporary Brazil. Whilst the Nagô line evokes ancestral times through hand-carved pieces, the Ojo mirror integrates wireless charging and smart lighting. “These are two times that meet — that of speed and that of permanence”, the designer explains.

Ancestral Pendant Lamp

The most recent collection, developed in partnership with the AODA brand, is called “The Essential Thing is to Feel” and features the Ilê Aiyê vases — from the Yoruba “our home, our land”. The shapes evoke roofs, symbols of shelter and protection, translating through soapstone and imbuia spheres the feeling of being at home.

Materiality as manifesto

For Bete, each material carries ancestral narratives. Soapstone, imbuia wood and leather bring not only aesthetic qualities, but stories rooted in Brazilian culture. The designer views sustainability as a philosophy of conscious and responsible creation.

“We have extraordinary talent, unique raw materials and a deeply creative people”, Bete says about the moment of Brazilian design. She envisages special collaborations — not yet revealed — that should present to the world what the country has that is most genuine.

Growing recognition

In addition to the national award with Ojo, the presence of the Nagô collection in Milan consolidated Bete on the international scene. “The doors began to open naturally, but not without effort”, she points out, revealing the determination behind her talent

Ojo Mirror

The designer’s work represents a new generation of Brazilian professionals who export not only products, but profound cultural narratives. Bete Said proves that it is possible to honour the past whilst building the future — with soul, purpose and genuinely Brazilian identity.