Benno Premsela (1920 – 1997) was a Dutch textile and exhibition designer. Dutch designer and gay rights pioneer Benno Premsela hid from the Nazis and emerged with the conviction that he would never again hide who he was.
Education
He was born in a Jewish, socialist family. His Father, Bernhard, was the first sexologist to talk about sexuality and birth control on the radio openly.
Premsela’s childhood was happy, and by 1937, He was studying interior design at the Nieuwe Kunstschool, Amsterdam. It was founded in 1933 and modelled on the Bauhaus.
Biography
Between 1949-51, he worked in the furniture department of Bijenkorf, the largest department store in Amsterdam. Between 1956-63, he was the head of display there.
1951-53, he worked in Italy, where he designed and printed textiles. In 1963, he set up a studio in partnership with architect Jan Vonk. From 1967, Premsela was responsible for product development and design for Van Besouw in Goirle. From 1972, wallcoverings for Vescom; and, from 1975, upholstery fabrics for Gerns & Gabler.
Exhibitions
His work was the subject of the one-person 1981-2 ‘Benno Premsela onder anderen’ exhibition at the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam.
Sources
Byars, M., & Riley, T. (2004). The design encyclopedia. Laurence King Publishing.
Kohn. (n.d.). Just a Flash in the Universe. The Guardian 08 Apr 1997, Page 20 – Newspapers.com. Retrieved December 28, 2022, from https://www.newspapers.com/image/260792870/?terms=%22Benno%20Premsela%22&match=1
Shorto, R. (2013, October 29). Amsterdam. In A History of the World’s Most Liberal City.
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Mare André was a french painter, decorator and furniture designer. He studied painting, at the Academie Julian, Paris. Between 1903-04, he shared a studio with Fernand Leger. From c1911; he worked closely with Roger de la Fresnaye. The decorative arts began showing up in his work submitted to the annual Salons in Paris, although he considered himself primarily a painter at the time.
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