Torbjørn Afdal

Torb­jørn Afdal, a highly gifted and prolific furni­ture designer for Eikund, had a distin­guished career after grad­u­at­ing from the Norwe­gian National Academy of Craft and Art Indus­try in 1946. He dedi­cated much of his profes­sional life to the renowned Bruksbo Tegnekon­tor, a leading design office for quality furni­ture that signif­i­cantly contributed to Norway’s furni­ture indus­try for three decades. 

Afdal’s inter­na­tional recog­ni­tion as a highly-skilled designer is under­scored by the gold medal awarded to him for his lounge chair Broad­way at the Deutsche Handw­erksmesse in Munich in 1959. His design prowess reached influ­en­tial figures, with notable clients includ­ing First Lady Jacque­line Kennedy and Japan­ese Emperor Hiro­hito. He also designed the office for Norwe­gian Prime Minis­ter Gro Harlem Brundtland.

His work is char­ac­ter­ized by a refined under­stand­ing of mate­ri­als and form, blend­ing art and tradi­tion. Afdal demon­strated a talent for harness­ing the natural possi­bil­i­ties of wood in his designs. From 1955 to 1965, Afdal’s furni­ture design evolved with a more crafted feel, high­lighted by iconic pieces such as the armchair Broad­way and the hunting chair Hunter. Many of his creations stand as true clas­sics, deserv­ing of revival.