POUL KJÆRHOLM (1929-1980) was an influential Danish architect and industrial designer who broke away from traditional, wooden Scandinavian furniture making to instead champion steel as his material of choice. A trained carpenter, Kjærholm graduated from the Copenhagen School of Arts and Crafts in 1952 and later taught there himself until 1956. His further academic career led him from lecturer at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts in 1959 to head of the Institute of Design in 1973 and finally to a professorship in 1976.

Kjærholm developed an artistic ideology very early on, one that he would follow uncompromisingly throughout his career. A key aspect of his ideology was the contrast between sculptural and architectural aspects – the effect achieved by placing a piece of furniture in an architectural space. Kjærholm’s designs were marked by understated elegance, clean lines, and a remarkable attention to detail – modest in means, but rich in expression. Although he always saw functionality as an absolute requirement, he was never willing to compromise as an artist. He managed to make a lengthy and difficult production process appear effortless in the end product.

While most of his contemporaries relied on wood as their primary material, Kjærholm instead focused on steel and used other materials like wood, leather, cane, or marble as accents. Of his favorite material, he said: ‘Steel’s constructive potential is not the only thing that interests me; the refraction of light on its surface is an important part of my artistic work. I consider steel a material with the same artistic merit as wood and leather.’

Kjærholm’s work is represented in many museums around the world, most notably in the permanent collection of MoMA in New York and at the V & A Museum in London. His awards include two Grand Prix at the Milan Triennale in 1957 and 1960, the Lunning Award in 1958 and the ID Award in 1973.

(Image Credit: R & Co; Source: Gokelaere + Robinson)