Poul Kjaerholm (1928-1980) Denmark

Poul Kjaerholm studied at the school of Arts and Crafts in Copenhagen where he would later teach from 1952 to 1956. Although he was formally trained as a cabinet maker, Kjaerholm was a strong proponent for industrial production and his work stands out among that of his Danish contemporaries because of his extensive use of steel frames rather than the traditional wood. He did, however, design many of his seats in natural materials like leather, canvas, rope and cane. Kjaerholm designed mainly for Fritz Hansen and E. Kold Christensen. Kjaerholm was considered far ahead of his time, mainly through the use of, for Danish design, new materials and techniques. The Mobilia press wrote of him; “when Kjaerholms furniture is evaluated today, it is not by virtue of his quantity but of its supremacy”.