Aksel Bender Madsen (16 August 1916 – 23 May 2000) was a Danish furniture designer who worked closely together with

Ejner Larsen Ejner Larsen (1917–1987) was a Danish furniture designer who worked closely together with Aksel Bender Madsen. Biography Son of cabinetmaker Otto Larsen, he was born in Copenhagen on 30 March 1917. After training as a cabinetmaker, he learnt f ...

(1917-1987) producing a wide variety of items during the

Danish modern Danish modern also known as Scandinavian modern is a style of minimalist furniture and housewares from Denmark associated with the Danish design movement. In the 1920s, Kaare Klint embraced the principles of Bauhaus modernism in furniture de ...

period.

Biography

Born in Ringe on the Danish island of

Funen Funen (, ), is the third-largest List of islands of Denmark, island of Denmark, after Zealand and North Jutlandic Island, Vendsyssel-Thy, with an area of . It is the List of islands by area, 165th-largest island in the world. It is located in th ...

, Madsen was the son of farmer Niels Martin Madsen and his wife Karen Marie f. Andersen. After training as a cabinetmaker, he attended the Furniture School at the

Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts The Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts () has provided education in the arts for more than 250 years, playing its part in the development of the art of Denmark. History The Royal Danish Academy of Portraiture, Sculpture, and Architecture in Cope ...

, graduating in 1940. Thereafter he worked with architects

Kaare Klint Kaare Klint (15 December 1888 – 28 March 1954) was a Danish architect and furniture designer, known as the father of modern Danish furniture design. His style was epitomized by clean, pure lines, use of the best materials of his time and ...

and

Arne Jacobsen Arne Emil Jacobsen, Honorary Fellowship of the American Institute of Architects, Hon. FAIA (; 11 February 1902 – 24 March 1971) was a Danish architect and furniture designer. He is remembered for his contribution to functionalism (architec ...

until 1943. From 1942, he designed his own models which he exhibited at the annual exhibition of the Copenhagen Cabinetmakers Guild (''Københavns Snedkerlaug''). While studying at the Academy, he met Ejner Larsen who became his partner. In 1947, they established a design studio together. The same year, they presented works made by cabinetmaker Willy Beck at the Copenhagen Cabinetmakers Guild's exhibition where they continued to participate year after year, working with Beck for a total of 25 years. Aksel Bender Madsen received the Cabinetmakers Guild annual prize (''Snedkerprisen'') in 1956 and 1961. In addition to sculptural chair designs, they also designed living rooms, bedrooms, shelving, dining tables, and office furniture. Their most notable work is the Metropolitan Chair, in bent plywood, which was exhibited in 1949 and manufactured by Fritz Hansen from 1952. All their works have a clear, timeless, simple style which continues to please today. In Madsen's own words: "What Ejner Larsen and I have made has always been in line with the principles we learnt from Kaare Klint about what is functional and what is natural. The requirements made set the design." Madsen also taught at the Danish Design School (''Danmarks Designskole'') in Copenhagen from 1946 to 1954.Mirjam Gelfer-Jørgensen
"Axel Bender Madsen"
Den Store Danske, Gyldendal. Retrieved 13 November 2011.

Personal life

He was married in 1943 to Ruth M. Jakobsen (b. 1920).

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Madsen, Aksel Bender Danish furniture designers 1916 births 2000 deaths People from Faaborg-Midtfyn Municipality Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts alumni 20th-century Danish architects Academic staff of Danmarks Designskole

Biography

Personal life

See also

References