Finn Juhl (Danish, 1912–1989) was a pioneer of Modern design in Denmark, and the first 20th-century Danish furniture designer to achieve international recognition. Born in Copenhagen, Juhl studied architecture at the Royal Academy of Arts. He spent the next decade working at the firm of Vilhelm Lauritzen. By the late 1930s, he had begun exhibiting at the annual Copenhagen Cabinetmakers’ Guild.

In 1945, he opened his own design office, where he specialized in furniture and interior design. Over the next several years, his work became increasingly influential, particularly on the style of homes abroad. In addition, he lectured on interior design at the Fredericksberg Technical School.

Influenced by Surrealist artists Jean Arp and Joan Miró, Juhl created furniture with soft edges and organic shapes, and became known for his chairs that used "floating" seat surfaces. In the early 1950s, he designed an interior for the Good Design exhibition in Chicago. He was also commissioned to create a series for Baker Furniture, and produced for them chairs, tables, storage units, sideboards, and desks. He also designed the Trusteeship Council Chamber at the United Nations in New York. During this time, Juhl was the recipient of five Gold Medals at the Milan Triennial.

In 1960, Juhl arranged the exhibition The Arts of Denmark at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, which helped introduce the concept of Danish design in United States. Also in 1960, the Danish Embassy in Washington, D.C., was built and decorated almost exclusively with Juhl’s furniture. In 1965, he served as a visiting professor at the Art Institute of Chicago.

In 1982, in celebration of his 70th birthday, Juhl held a retrospective exhibition of his work at the Danish Museum of Art & Design. He died seven years later in Ordrup, Denmark.

Timeline

1912
Born in Frederiksberg, Denmark
1930–1934
Studied architecture at the Royal Academy in Copenhagen, Denmark
1942
Won award for the design of his own house, Copenhagen, Denmark
1935–1944
Worked in the architecture offices of Vilhelm Lauritzen, Copenhagen, Denmark
1945
Opened private design studio, Copenhagen, Denmark
1945–1950
Lectured at the Frederiksberg Technical School, Copenhagen, Denmark
1951
Good Design exhibition, Chicago, IL, designed an interior
1951–1952
United Nation Headquarters in New York, NY, design of Trusteeship Council Chamber
1957
Awarded gold medal at the Milan Triennial, Milan, Italy
1989
Died in Copenhagen, Denmark

Exhibitions

2005
Ordrupgaard Museum, Copenhagen, Denmark (permanent solo exhibition)
2003
The Danish Museum of Decorative Art, Copenhagen, Denmark (group exhibition)
1960
Arts of Denmark, Metropolitan Museum, New York, NY (group exhibition)
1951
'Good Design' exhibition, Chicago, IL — (group exhibition)
1944
Copenhagen Cabinetmakers’ Guild, Copenhagen, Denmark (group exhibition)
1943
Copenhagen Cabinetmakers’ Guild, Copenhagen, Denmark (group exhibition)
1942
Copenhagen Cabinetmakers’ Guild, Copenhagen, Denmark (group exhibition)
1941
Copenhagen Cabinetmakers’ Guild, Copenhagen, Denmark (group exhibition)
1940
Copenhagen Cabinetmakers’ Guild, Copenhagen, Denmark (group exhibition)
1939
Copenhagen Cabinetmakers’ Guild, Copenhagen, Denmark (group exhibition)
1938
Copenhagen Cabinetmakers’ Guild, Copenhagen, Denmark (group exhibition)
1937
Copenhagen Cabinetmakers’ Guild, Copenhagen, Denmark (group exhibition)

Public Collections

Museum of Modern Art, New York, New York, NY
Ordrupgaard Museum, Copenhagen, Denmark
Danish Museum of Decorative Art, Copenhagen, Denmark

Literature

2004
Henrik Wivel. Finn Juhl. Denmark: Aschehoug.
1990
Hiort, Esbjørn. Finn Juhl: furniture, architecture, applied art: a biography. Copenhagen: Danish Architectural Press.