Hans J. Wegner (Danish, 2007)

Hans J. Wegner (Danish, 1914–2007) was a renowned furniture designer associated with Organic Functionalism. Born in southern Denmark, Wegner apprenticed as a cabinetmaker, and later attended the Danish School of Arts and Crafts and the Architectural Academy in Copenhagen.

In 1940, Wegner began a collaboration with Arne Jacobsen and Erik Møller to build and design furniture for the Århus City Hall. Also in 1940, Wegner worked with the seminal modern designer Johannes Hansen. In 1942, Wegner sold a piece of furniture to the then Copenhagen Industrial Art Museum (now the Design Museum Denmark). A year later, Wegner opened his own design studio, and, in 1944, he designed his first China Chair in a series inspired by the thrones of Chinese emperors. The most famous chair in this series, the Wishbone Chair, was mass produced by Carl Hansen & Sons

Like many of his furniture pieces, the chair was characterized by traditional joinery techniques and sculpted elements. Wegner was also known for his use of traditional construction in the creation of upholstered pieces, and often worked in several materials, including wood, plywood, metal, caning, and papercord, always with an emphasis on functionality.

Wegner received a number of awards and honors throughout his career. These include an appointment as an honorary member of the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts and an honorary doctorate from the Royal College of Art in London. He was also the first recipient of the Lunning Prize and received the 8th International Design Award in Osaka, Japan. His works have been shown major institutions around the world, such as The Museum of Modern Art in New York and Die Neue Sammlung in Munich.

Wegner died in Denmark in 2007.

Timeline

1914
Born in Tønder, Denmark
1936–1938
Attended School of Arts and Crafts in Copenhagen, Denmark
1938–1942
Worked as a furniture designer in Denmark
1942
Showcased his first chair at the Copenhagen Museum of Art and Industry, Copenhagen, Denmark
1943
Started his own design office
1959
The Royal Society of Arts in London, England, made him an Honorary Royal Designers for Industry doctorate
2007
Died in Copenhagen, Denmark

Exhibitions

2011
Studio Georgeville, Quebec, Canada (solo)
1941–1966
Annual Exhibition at the Cabinetmakers Guild, Danish Museum of Decorative Art, Copenhagen, Denmark

Public Collections

Centre Georges-Pompidou, Paris, France
Hans Wegner Museum, Tønder, Denmark
Copenhagen Museum of Industrial Art, Copenhagen, Denmark
Museum of Modern Art, New York, NY
Neue Sammlung, Munich, Germany