Henning Koppel (1918 – 1981) Danish Designer

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Bowls by Henning Koppel
Bowls by Henning Koppel

Henning Koppel (1918 – 1981) was a Danish artist and designer. He is most known for his work for Georg Jensen after World War II. He also designed porcelain (Bing & Grøndahl, glass (Holmegaard) and lamps (Louis Poulsen & Co). Koppel’s background was not in design but in fine art. His work was known to emphasise form and not functionality.This has been seen as sculptural quality in his work.

Education

Koppel was born on May 8 1918, in Copenhagen, the son of an editor and later editor-in-chief of Politiken Valdemar Koppel (1867–1949) and translator Elise Jørgensen (1880–1974). He graduated from Øregårds Gymnasium in 1934 and then studied first under professor Einar Utzon-Frank at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts’s School of Sculpture in 1936–37 and then at Académie Ranson in Paris in 1938.

Sculpture

With an expressive portrait bust, Koppel debuted as a sculptor at the Artists’ Autumn Exhibition in 1935. He was also represented with drawings in several exhibitions. His best works as a sculptor are the busts of Valdemar and Jytte Koppel (1938 and 1942, both in black granite) and Tora Nordstrom Bonnier and Karl-Adam Bonnier (both 1944).

Design

As a result of his Jewish background, Koppel had to seek refuge in Sweden during World War II. In Stockholm, where he resided from 1943-44, he attracted considerable attention as a jewellery designer for Svenskt Tenn.

Back in Denmark in 1945, he obtained a contract with Georg Jensen, a collaboration that lasted the rest of his life. The silverware he designed for Geog Jensen was “fluid, sinuous, and beautiful before it was functional.”

His work was rewarded with gold medals on three Milan Triennials (1951, 1954 and 1957). His Georg Jensen designs included hollowwares, jewellery, and flatware patterns such as Caravel (silver, 1957) and New York (steel, 1963).[3]

In 1961 Koppel also began to work for Bing & Grøndahl. His designs for the company included both coffee and tea sets, flatware patterns and several jugs and serving dishes.

He has also designed glassware for Holmegaard and Orrefors. In 1963 he won 1st prize in a competition to create a new series of stamps for Post Danmark, but his design proposal was never realised.

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Recognition

He has received numerous awards, including the 1953 Lunning Prize (with Tias Eckhoff); gold medals at 1951 (IX), 1954 (X), and 1957 (XI) Triennali di Milano; and the 1963 International Design Award (Jensen tableware), American Institute of Designers. Work (silver) shown at 1954—57 USA’ Design in Sctravellingia’ travelling exhibition; 1956—59 ‘Neue Form aus Danemark’ travelling German exhibition; 1958 ‘Formes Scandinaves,’ Paris Musée des Arts Décoratifs; 1960—61 ‘The Arts of Denmark’ travelling USA exhibition; 1975′ Adventures in Swedish Glass,’ Australia. He was a featured designer at the 1966′ Centenary Exhibition,’ Goldsmiths Hall, London.

Brooch by Henning Koppel
Bowl by Henning Koppel
Box by Henning Koppel
Bowl by Henning Koppel
Wooden Bowl by Henning Koppel
Bangle by Henning Koppel

Sources

Byars, M., & Riley, T. (2004). The design encyclopedia. Laurence King Publishing. https://amzn.to/3ElmSlL

Hestad, M. (2016). Branding and Product Design: An Integrated Perspective. United Kingdom: Taylor & Francis. https://amzn.to/3AoJi6f

Miller, J. (2018). Miller’s Mid-Century Modern: Living with Mid-Century Modern Design. United Kingdom: Octopus. https://amzn.to/3AeT230

Wikipedia contributors. (2021, November 12). Henning Koppel. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 02:10, December 30, 2021, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Henning_Koppel&oldid=1054867740

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