Henning Koppel
Danish sculptor and designer Henning Koppel (1918-1981) is regarded as one of the most important Danish designers of all time. Koppel is best known for his work with silverware, but he also worked with other materials such as porcelain, granite, watercolour, steel and glass. Koppel had an elegant and precise sense of proportions. He always managed to find the ideal balance, regardless of the material at hand, creating timeless and enduring works.
Henning Koppel was born in Copenhagen in 1918 as the son of an editor, but the young Koppel was not attracted to an academic career. He left school at the age of 16 and enrolled in the School of Sculpture at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts in 1936, followed by Academie Ranson in Paris in 1938. By the age of 17, Koppel made his debut at Kunstnernes Efterårsudstilling with a portrait bust showcasing his sculptural skills. In 1945, Koppel began a lifelong collaboration with the Georg Jensen silver smithy, where he designed jewellery, corpus silver and cutlery. Then in 1961, he began working with porcelain at the Bing & Grøndahl porcelain factory. Later in 1972, he designed the Bubi lamp – one of his rare lamp designs.
Koppel experimented with organic and sculptural forms in his design and art, often drawing inspiration from nature, while employing elegant proportions and a pared back, minimalist expression. Koppel's design language was characterised by minimalist, elegant lines and functional aesthetics. At the beginning of his career, Koppel adopted a sculptural approach to many of his works, but this changed over the course of his career, and Koppel’s idiom became more streamlined and formal in the 1970s. In Koppel’s career in applied art, the utilitarian element became the focal point of the design process. However, he always strived to give his designs a vibrant individual expression that could make them more than just simple utility objects.
Henning Koppel’s work has had a great influence on Danish design history and has received recognition both nationally and internationally. He has garnered several design awards and accolades, including a gold medal at the Milan Triennials in 1951, 1954 and 1957, the Lunning Prize in 1953, the International Design Award in 1963, Der Goldene Löffel in 1963, the Diamonds International Award in 1966, the ID Prize in 1966, a gold medal in Florence in 1967 and a silver medal at Exempla 70 in 1970.
Our designers
Hans J. Wegner
Among Danish furniture designers, Hans J. Wegner is considered one of the most creative, innovative and prolific. Often referred to as the master of the chair, Wegner designed more than 500 chairs in his lifetime – many of them considered masterpieces.
Anker Bak
With an unconventional background and personal design approach, Anker Bak pushes conceptual and physical boundaries via quality materials, sublime craftsmanship and functionality. His designs make a difference in people’s lives and meet real needs.
Arne Jacobsen
One of Denmark's best-known and most respected architects, Arne Jacobsen has become synonymous with modernism throughout the world. His precise yet expressive aesthetic continues to serve as a source of inspiration for contemporary designers.
Bodil Kjær
Danish professor and architect Bodil Kjær has significantly contributed to the spread of Danish Modern design principles through her travels, knowledge gathering and promotion of the relationship between design and architecture.
Bonderup & Thorup
After graduating from the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts’ School of Architecture in Copenhagen in 1969, Claus Bonderup and Torsten Thorup began a collaboration that led them to join forces on design projects across the globe for more than 20 years.
Brad Ascalon
Brad Ascalon is an American designer born in 1977. He entered the art and design world at a young age. His grandfather, a sculptor and industrial designer, and his father, a renowned artist, encouraged a passion for design, craftsmanship and materials that would last.
Børge Mogensen
Børge Mogensen’s creative process produced long-lasting pieces with humans at the center. He worked primarily with wood and pioneered democratic design, becoming a highly-influential, post-war representative of Danish Modern.
EOOS
Austrian collaborative, EOOS, were established in 1995 by Martin Bergmann, Gernot Bohmann, and Harald Gründl. The trio study historical roots in a contemporary context and focus on myths, rituals and intuitive expressions, to create original connections.
Frits Henningsen
Frits Henningsen was an uncompromising designer known for his perfectionism and vibrant personality. He gave new expression to traditional designs and viewed quality craftsmanship as essential. Unlike most cabinetmakers, he always designed his own furniture pieces.
Kaare Klint
Kaare Klint is recognized as the father of modern Danish design and a renowned furniture designer, educator, and visionary. He insisted on clear, logical design, clean lines, the best materials, and superb craftsmanship, as seen in his iconic Safari Chair from 1933.
Larsen & Bender Madsen
Ejner Larsen and Aksel Bender Madsen designed around 300 works, including the Metropolitan Chair. While the chair was their favorite object, they also made other pieces from bedroom suites to bookshelves. The results were always simple and timeless.
Linie Design
Linie Design, a Danish design company, was founded in 1980 and since then has specialized in the development of handmade rugs in elegant designs and of the highest quality materials.
Mads Odgård
The dream of becoming a designer has lived in Mads Odgård for as long as he can remember, so when the time came, he left his birthplace, the Danish town of Kjellerup, and moved to Copenhagen to work in the creative business.
Mogens Lassen
Architect Mogens Lassen created works rooted in cubist architectural ideals inspired by Le Corbusier. Considered a pioneer of functionalism in Denmark, Lassen’s designs showcased his ability to express ideas through diverse materials.
Nanna Ditzel
Her desire to explore spaces and experiment with techniques on the edge of what is possible led Nanna Ditzel – one of Danish design’s most distinctive personalities – to become acquainted with the entire design universe.
Ole Wanscher
Ole Wanscher was integral to the aesthetic and functionality of modern Danish design. Having studied under Kaare Klint, he helped shape Danish furniture design as a designer and as an educator when he took over Klint’s professorship at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts.
Poul Kjærholm
Poul Kjærholm mixed his strict, modern idiom with superior quality and materials rooted in Danish craftsmanship traditions. Despite his short career as a furniture designer, Kjærholm’s craftsmanship and clear expression resulted in timeless designs with a global influence.
Fabricius & Kastholm
The design duo specialised in furniture design and single-family houses, and their designs were characterised by minimalism, sophistication, functionality, quality and their eye for detail.
Rikke Frost
Danish designer Rikke Frost has always been curious about the combination of different craft traditions and types of material, a fact clearly reflected in her design portfolio where traditional and contemporary design is expressed in sofas, tables, chairs and lamps with an organic idiom.
Strand & Hvass
The Strand + Hvass duo is part of a new breed of Danish designers whose work continues in a direct line from their celebrated predecessors. With the Extend Table design, they infused the modern Danish furniture tradition with a bold new expression.
Tadao Ando
Japanese architect Tadao Ando bases his work on a design philosophy that unites Japanese design traditions with modern Western expression. Inspired by Le Corbusier, Ando’s style is minimalistic and innovative, with a focus on functionality.
Thomas Bo Kastholm
Thomas Bo Kastholm creates designs that unite diverse materials into compelling compositions with clear purpose. The TK8 Daybed, with its close ties to the core principles of classic, modern Danish design, exemplifies Kastholm’s ideals.
