Børge Mogensen
(Denmark, 1914 - 1972)
Børge Mogensen, one of the most important of a generation of extremely talented Danish furniture designers, valued traditional craftsmanship and honesty of materials, especially teak, oak, and leather. Mogensen, along with his peers Finn Juhl, Arne Jacobsen, and Hans Wegner, created international respect for Danish furniture design. His beautifully simple and functional designs continue to enjoy worldwide demand.
Børge Mogensen studied furniture design at the Copenhagen School of Arts and Crafts from 1936–38, and then trained as an architect (from 1938–42) at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts' School of Architecture. Mogensen studied under and later worked for Kaare Klint, a master cabinetmaker whose chief tenets were quality of construction and simplicity of line. In 1942, Mogensen became head of design at the Danish Consumers Coöperative Society (FDB). He opened his own design office in 1950, and was one of a handful of designers who helped define and popularize the "Danish Modern" design style. He was honored with the Eckersberg Medal in 1950, the annual prize from the Copenhagen Carpentry Guild in 1953, and the C.F. Hansen Medal in 1972.
