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Poul Kjaerholm 1929-1980

Poul Kjaerholm 1929-1980

Poul Kjaerholm was born in Oster Vra in 1929 and began his apprenticeship as a cabinet maker in 1949, completing his studies at the School of Applied Arts in Copenhagen in 1952.

His early career was with furniture manufacturer E. Kold Christiansen, the company later taken over by Fritz Hansen. During this time he was also teaching at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Art, where he became a Professor of Furniture 1976. This was a post he held until his death in 1980.

Despite his traditional training as a cabinet maker, Kjaerholm designed furniture for mass production. He combined unusual materials such as stainless or chromed steel frames with natural materials such as rattan, canvas, leather, timber and rope. His work consistently followed a clear and decisive plan - his designs were based on experiments, clear down to the very finest detail and set themselves apart with their clarity and honest construction which concealed nothing. As his work was also aimed at everyday, mass market use the austere functionalist style with which he is associated gained popularity amongst users.

In 1976 he was appointed Professor of Furniture design at Copenhagen's Royal Academy a position he held up until his death in 1980.

His classic designs include the PK22 Lounge Chair, PK8 Shell Chair, PK20 Easy Chair, PK61 Coffee Table and PK24 Chaise Longue. Being a Fritz Hansen dealer we feature all his key pieces.

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