19 Facts About Finn Juhl

Finn Juhl was a Danish architect, interior and industrial designer, most known for his furniture design.

Finn Juhl was one of the leading figures in the creation of Danish design in the 1940s and he was the designer who introduced Danish modern to America.

Finn Juhl was born on 30 January 1912 to an authoritarian father who was a textile wholesaler representing several English, Scottish and Swiss textile manufacturers in Denmark, and a mother who died shortly after he was born.

Finn Juhl was admitted to the Architecture School at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts where from 1930 to 1934 he studied under Kay Fisker, a leading architect of his day and noted lecturer.

In close collaboration with Viggo Boesen, Finn Juhl was responsible for much of the interior design of the national broadcaster Danmarks Radio's Radiohuset, one of the firm's most high-profile assignments during those years.

Finn Juhl made his debut in 1937 when he commenced a collaboration with cabinetmaker Niels Vodder which would continue until 1959 and exhibited at the eleventh Copenhagen Cabinetmakers' Guild Exhibition.

Finn Juhl married Inge-Marie Skaarups on 15 July 1937 but they later divorced.

In spite of the initial criticism, Finn Juhl's work began to influence the style of homes abroad throughout the 1940s.

Finn Juhl became a teacher at the Danmarks Designskole in 1945 and would continue to teach there until 1955.

Finn Juhl intentionally did not visit only the big Scandinavian exhibitions, but being impressed by Juhl's work he presented it in a large article in the Interiors magazine.

In 1951 Finn Juhl participated in the Good Design exhibition in Chicago.

In 1950, Baker Furniture Company of Grand Rapids, Michigan approached Finn Juhl about producing his designs in their America factory.

Finn Juhl died on 17 May 1989 and was buried in Copenhagen's Assistens Cemetery.

Finn Juhl gave a soft edge to the lines of wooden modernist chairs, favouring organic shapes which often took the wood to the limits of what was possible.

Finn Juhl generally used teak and other dark woods, unlike many of the other proponents of the Danish Modern movement who often used oak in their designs.

Finn Juhl was influenced by the abstract sculptor Jean Arp, an influence which is seen already in his early Pelican chair but it remained a motif throughout his career.

Also influenced by tribal art, Finn Juhl exhibited the Chieftain chair with photos of weapons from anthropological studies.

Finn Juhl's work included numerous assignments within the field of interior design.

Finn Juhl collaborated regularly with companies such as Georg Jensen and Scandinavian Airlines, his work for the latter including both ticket offices and aircraft interiors.