Olsen, Hans

Hans Olsen 1919-1992

Hans Olsen was trained as a cabinetmaker in Copenhagen in 1941 with cabinetmaker Peder Pedersen, and graduated from the School of Arts and Craft in 1944. Subsequently, he graduated from the Royal Danish Academy of Arts at the important Danish architect and professor Kaare Klint’s Furniture School. Olsen established his Independent studio in 1953.
Hans Olsen’s various easy chairs are among the best known in his design spectrum. At the Cabinetmakers’ Guild’s Furniture exhibitions (now SE), he demonstrated influences from organic modernism in his conceptual furniture following Charles and Ray Eames and Eero Saarinen’s implementations of plastic technology. Still innovation and development was made in collaboration with a cabinetmaker, V. Birkesholm, but their experiments take it a step further than other cabinetmaking experiments of the 50s. His easy chairs no. 187/1 and no. 188 organically build up around plastic shells, inviting alternative sitting positions. The asymmetric version has comfortable round-edged upholstery in a reclining mango fruit shape.

Literature and media source: Lars Dybdahl, Dansk design 1945-1975, Valby: Borgen, 2006 Frederik Sieck, Nutidig Dansk Møbeldesign, København: Nyt Nordisk Forlag Arnold Busck, 1999 Per H. Hansen and Klaus Petersen, Den store Danske møbelguide, København: Lindhardt og Ringhof, 2005

CR