Poul Kjaerholm
Encyclopedia
Poul Kjærholm was a Danish
designer.
Born in Øster Vrå, Denmark, Kjærholm began as a cabinetmaker's apprentice with Gronbech in 1948, going on to the Danish School of Arts and Crafts in Copenhagen
in 1952. He was very articulate and with his natural authority he started an outstanding career as an educator in the same year (1952) but continued to study with Prof. Erik Herløw and Prof. Palle Suenson.
series. The PK61 coffee table
of '55 is a playfully irrational supporting frame visible through the glass top.
In 1958 he attracted international acclaim for his contributions to the 'Formes Scandinaves' exhibition in Paris and the award of the legendary 'Lunning Award', the same year for his PK22 chair. In both 1957 and 1960 he won the Grand Prize at the Milan Trennali.
In 1959 he became assistant at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts in Copenhagen and lecturer.
In 1965 his PK24 Chaise Longue typified his mature style. Its simple flowing lines combine steel and woven cane.
In 1967 he was awarded the Danish ID Prize for product design.
He became head of the Institut for Design in 1973 and finally professor in 1976 until his death 4 years later.
in New York, the Victoria and Albert Museum
in London and other museum collections in Denmark, Norway, Sweden and Germany.
In 2004, Kjærholm's son established Kjærholm Productions to produce those items of his father's furniture that Fritz Hansen had discontinued production of in 2003.
In 2008, Gregory R. Miller & Co. published the comprehensive and definitive reference work, The Furniture of Poul Kjærholm: Catalogue Raisonné, by Michael Sheridan.
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
designer.
Born in Øster Vrå, Denmark, Kjærholm began as a cabinetmaker's apprentice with Gronbech in 1948, going on to the Danish School of Arts and Crafts in Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
in 1952. He was very articulate and with his natural authority he started an outstanding career as an educator in the same year (1952) but continued to study with Prof. Erik Herløw and Prof. Palle Suenson.
Life
From the mid 1950s he worked for his friend Ejvind Kold Christiansen, an entrepreneur who, giving him tremendous artistic freedom, produced an extensive range of his furniture. His distinctive style is evident as early as 1952 in his PKO minimalist plywoodPlywood
Plywood is a type of manufactured timber made from thin sheets of wood veneer. It is one of the most widely used wood products. It is flexible, inexpensive, workable, re-usable, and can usually be locally manufactured...
series. The PK61 coffee table
Coffee table
A coffee table, also called a cocktail table, is a style of long, low table which is designed to be placed in front of a sofa, to support beverages , magazines, books , and other small items to be used while sitting, such as beverage coasters. Coffee tables are usually found in the living room or...
of '55 is a playfully irrational supporting frame visible through the glass top.
In 1958 he attracted international acclaim for his contributions to the 'Formes Scandinaves' exhibition in Paris and the award of the legendary 'Lunning Award', the same year for his PK22 chair. In both 1957 and 1960 he won the Grand Prize at the Milan Trennali.
In 1959 he became assistant at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts in Copenhagen and lecturer.
In 1965 his PK24 Chaise Longue typified his mature style. Its simple flowing lines combine steel and woven cane.
In 1967 he was awarded the Danish ID Prize for product design.
He became head of the Institut for Design in 1973 and finally professor in 1976 until his death 4 years later.
Works
Most of his furniture was initially produced by his friend E. Kold Christensen in Hellerup. Since 1982 a wide selection of those products have been produced by Republic of Fritz Hansen, a leading Danish furniture manufacturing firm. His designs are in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern ArtMuseum of Modern Art
The Museum of Modern Art is an art museum in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, on 53rd Street, between Fifth and Sixth Avenues. It has been important in developing and collecting modernist art, and is often identified as the most influential museum of modern art in the world...
in New York, the Victoria and Albert Museum
Victoria and Albert Museum
The Victoria and Albert Museum , set in the Brompton district of The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, London, England, is the world's largest museum of decorative arts and design, housing a permanent collection of over 4.5 million objects...
in London and other museum collections in Denmark, Norway, Sweden and Germany.
In 2004, Kjærholm's son established Kjærholm Productions to produce those items of his father's furniture that Fritz Hansen had discontinued production of in 2003.
In 2008, Gregory R. Miller & Co. published the comprehensive and definitive reference work, The Furniture of Poul Kjærholm: Catalogue Raisonné, by Michael Sheridan.
- The Tulip Chair (1961)
- Hammock chair (1965)