Poul Kjærholm

Danish designer Poul Kjaerholm (1929-1980) began his career as a cabinetmaker's apprentice with Gronbech in 1948, going on to the Danish School of Arts and Crafts in Copenhagen in 1952. From the mid 1950s, he worked for his friend Ejvind Kold Christiansen, an entrepreneur who gave him tremendous artistic freedom and produced an extensive range of his furniture. Kjaerholm's distinctive style is clearly evident as early as 1952 in his PKO minimalist plywood series. He became head of the Institut for Design in 1973 and finally professor in 1976 until his death four years later.