To celebrate Hans J. Wegner’s enduring legacy and more than 70 years of collaboration with Carl Hansen & Son, Carl Hansen has partnered with acclaimed designer Ilse Crawford to develop a new color palette for a limited-edition release of the first chairs he created for them back in 1950.
Marrying Wegner’s innate understanding of how a piece of furniture is experienced with Crawford’s inherent sense of the space in which it is placed, these icons of mid 20th century Danish design are reimagined through a contemporary lens.
The result is a bold, multi-faceted reinterpretation of Wegner’s work, alluding to his pioneering spirit and philosophy of constantly improving, refining, pushing and experimenting. The chairs’ timeless forms are accentuated through the use of rich, painterly colors, inspired by the expressionist works of Per Kirkeby, one of Denmark’s most significant painters.
The carefully curated palette of translucent, non-toxic, water-based paints was selected to add depth and complexity to the familiar shapes – to create an atmosphere, as well as to allow the natural beauty of the wood grain to shine through each design.
Crawford’s ability to imbue any project with great insight and relevance – beyond simply placing furniture in a room – made her the perfect choice to reimagine some of the most prodigious designs from the hand of Wegner.
Elevating the chairs’ physicality through the use of a new color scheme with its own cultural history rooted in Nordic abstraction creates an even more sensual expression – one that is both timeless and timely and will contribute to the creation of a warm, relaxed and natural environment.
