Hans J. Wegner is probably the most recognized Danish furniture designer in Japan.
Wegner has produced many masterpieces such as "Y Chair" and "The Chair". This time, I will introduce his history.
Wegner was born on April 2, 1914 in Tuner, a town on the Danish-German border. He has had a strong passion for woodworking furniture since his youth, and passed the examination of " Woodwork Meister " at the young age of 17.
After that, he entered the School of Arts and Crafts, where Olla Murgaard Nielsen, a student of Koa Clint, was teaching design methodology as a professor at the time.
Here Wegner learned about design and mathematical approaches and developed his talent as a designer. Although Wegner achieved excellent grades at school, he voluntarily dropped out in his third year.
After leaving school, he worked with Arne Jacobsen at the construction office of Danish architect Eric Moller, and refined his skills through practical experience.
His first job was the Windsor Chair, which he designed for the Newborg Library.
Wegner is said to be the most creative and original designer in the Danish design world. Especially known as a master of chairs, he designed more than 500 chairs in his lifetime. And many of them are now internationally acclaimed as masterpieces.
Wegner, who was often asked by people outside of Denmark, ``How was that unique style called Danish Modern created?'' I think it was made by.For me, it's a work to make it simpler.The four legs, the seat surface, the back, the arms, and the frame that connects them are all necessary and wasteful. It is about stripping away the
Wegner's furniture design is not an addition, but a subtraction. Pursuing simple beauty and functionality, we reveal the core of the furniture, the essence of the furniture. This can be said to be Wegner's greatest achievement.
The works created by Wegner are all very simple, but they are characterized by their warmth. As a woodworking craftsman , he not only had a high level of knowledge and skill in wood, but also valued not only the beauty of the visuals, but also the closeness to the user.
Wegner has created masterpieces with many manufacturers such as Andreas Zuck (table series), Fritz Hansen (China chair), and Johannes Hansen (The Chair). , granted to PP Mobler, founded in 1953.
While PP Mobler emphasizes craftsmanship, it has moderately introduced processing technology using machines, which probably matched Wegner's values of craftsmanship.
As a result, Wegner furniture has been produced by different manufacturers over the years, and the manufacturing methods used are also slightly different.
The furniture before switching to PP mobler production has become particularly rare and highly sought after by collectors.