Finn Juhl (Danish, 1912–1989) was a pioneer of Modern design in Denmark, and the first 20th-century Danish furniture designer to achieve international recognition. Born in Copenhagen, Juhl studied architecture at the Royal Academy of Arts. He spent the next decade working at the firm of
Vilhelm Lauritzen. By the late 1930s, he had begun exhibiting at the annual Copenhagen Cabinetmakers’ Guild.
In 1945, he opened his own design office, where he specialized in furniture and interior design. Over the next several years, his work became increasingly influential, particularly on the style of homes abroad. In addition, he lectured on interior design at the Fredericksberg Technical School.
Influenced by Surrealist artists
Jean Arp and
Joan Miró, Juhl created furniture with soft edges and organic shapes, and became known for his chairs that used "floating" seat surfaces. In the early 1950s, he designed an interior for the
Good Design exhibition in Chicago. He was also commissioned to create a series for Baker Furniture, and produced for them chairs, tables, storage units, sideboards, and desks. He also designed the Trusteeship Council Chamber at the United Nations in New York. During this time, Juhl was the recipient of five Gold Medals at the Milan Triennial.
In 1960, Juhl arranged the exhibition
The Arts of Denmark at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, which helped introduce the concept of Danish design in United States. Also in 1960, the Danish Embassy in Washington, D.C., was built and decorated almost exclusively with Juhl’s furniture. In 1965, he served as a visiting professor at the Art Institute of Chicago.
In 1982, in celebration of his 70th birthday, Juhl held a retrospective exhibition of his work at the Danish Museum of Art & Design. He died seven years later in Ordrup, Denmark.