Hans J. Wegner

Denmark (1914–2007)

Designing approximately 500 products in his lifetime, many of them chairs, Hans J. Wegner was a prolific talent whose designs have become synonymous with modern Danish design. He dreamed up his famous CH24 chair, or Wishbone chair, for Carl Hansen & Søn in 1949, and it instantly became a bestseller. Still today, the chair is ubiquitous in residences, restaurants, offices, and other spaces around the world.

At age 14, Wegner apprenticed with Danish master cabinetmaker H. F. Stahlberg, a training that would lead to the expert joinery and technique that emerged in his own furniture. He carried a deep respect for wood and the material allowed him to introduce a natural and organic sensibility to the minimalist and functional forms he designed. In the 1940’s, he worked for Erik Møller and Arne Jacobsen designing furniture for the Aarhus City Hall in Denmark before establishing his own furniture studio.

Wegner collaborated with Carl Hansen & Søn on numerous iconic pieces and the Danish manufacturer continues to produce many of his artful creations, such as the CH07 Shell chair and CH20 Elbow chair.