Headlining the annual design exhibition is a calming room by acclaimed architect Nildo José, who honors both the remote Brazilian region and homegrown artist Candido Portinari with thoughtful details and an earthy palette. José explores the hinterland’s most celebrated elements—the sky, rain, and faith—to bring the 2,700-square-foot environment to life, starting with a brick-formed brise surrounding the room that nods to the region’s signature rammed earth construction. Further touches like a vibrant Juraci Dórea canvas, sounds of running rainwater, and furniture by Sérgio Rodrigues, Jorge Zalszupin, and Percival Lafer lend a sophisticated sheen. “We’ve always thought the sertão is about the land and the drought, when it’s about heaven, about the rain that is to come, and faith,” José says. “It’s the sky we look at when we wake up there.”