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Geraldo de Barros (1923 - 1998), a Brazilian painter, photographer and designer, was one of the exponents of the avant-garde in Brazilian art, a precursor of concrete art and a pioneer in abstract photography.

He also worked as a furniture designer from the mid-1950s (Unilabor) to the late 1980s (Hobjeto), deeply involved both with the function of design and with the social structure of the economy in which he worked.

In 1964, after Unilabor, Geraldo de Barros founded Hobjeto,

Geraldo de Barros began studying drawing and painting at the São Paulo Fine Arts Association (1945). In his search for innovation, he moved away from expressionist figurative representation and became increasingly interested in abstraction. At this time, he also began practicing photography and his original approach to this medium led him to become the pioneer of Brazilian abstract photography.

Geraldo de Barros took part in the founding of Unilabor (1954-1964), a workers' community that designed modular furniture with a social approach. Unilabor is innovative in the Brazilian context not only because of the design he created, but also because of its cooperative management in which all the workers share decisions and benefits.

With the imposition of the dictatorship in the country, Unilabor was closed down and Geraldo de Barros created the Hobjeto factory (1964-1979), which continued his modular design on a larger scale without neglecting his more creative side. Until the end of his career in 1989, the designer drew up and designed countless lines of furniture. He built a personal workshop in the factory to design and create his last series of Formica paintings. The furniture and the paintings were made using the same techniques.