POUL KJÆRHOLM (Denmark, 1929 - 1980) for FRITZ HANSEN. PK-22 lounge chair, designed 1955. Steel frame. Upholstered in black leather. Made at Fritz Hansen in 1991, with label from here. Shows minor signs of wear and patina due to age. Measurements: 72 x 63 x 62 cm. Seat height 33 cm. The PK22 series of chairs are excellent examples of Poul Kjaerholm's ability to work with exquisite, minimalist materials. In the search for the ideal form they were created in a combination of elegant luxury and comfort. Poul Kjærholm was a Danish designer trained at the Danish School of Arts and Crafts in Copenhagen, where he entered in 1952 after having started his apprenticeship with the cabinetmaker Gronbech in 1948. From the mid-1950s he worked for his friend EjvindKoldChristiansen, a businessman who always gave him total creative freedom. His earliest creations, such as his plywood furniture series PKO, already reveal his strong personality. In 1958 he attracted international attention with his contribution to the "Formes Scandinaves" exhibition in Paris, and in the same year he won the Lunning Prize for his PK 22 chair. In 1957 and 1960 he was awarded the Grand Prix at the Milan Triennale, and in 1959 he was admitted to the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts. In 1973 he was appointed director of the Danish Design Institute, where he taught from 1976. His designs are now held in leading design collections, including those of the Victoria & Albert Museum in London and the MOMA in New York.