Relauch of the “Modern Art Chair” by House of Finn Juhl

In 1948, Museum of Modern Art hosts a design competition for chairs that are ready for industrial production and will be retailed at low prices. This is not exactly Finn Juhl’s area of expertise as he has become famous for his incredibly elegant and detailed handcrafted furniture. However, Finn Juhl decides to submit his entry.

The result is a beautiful and sculptural armchair in plastic, on which the soft, organic body is seemingly levitating on a base of painted metal legs with wooden toes.

Unfortunately, Finn Juhl does not win the competition – The winner is Charles and Ray Eames’ famous plastic chair, that has since been produced by the millions.

The chair has never before been produced, but when it comes to Finn Juhl, better late than never. For comparison, Finn Juhl’s iconic Pelican Chair was tucked away for 61 years before it saw the light of day and today it is perceived as one of the most iconic Finn Juhl designs.

We have named it The Modern Art Chair, as a tribute to Edgar Kaufmann Jr. and MoMA, but also because Finn Juhl was inspired exactly by the free modern art. The chair is cast in plastic and is supported by painted metal legs and comes with a reversible, upholstered seat cushion – exactly as originally designed. The chair is well suited for indoor and outdoor use alike.

House of Finn Juhl is honored to carry on Finn Juhl’s legacy and execute the relaunch of The Modern Art Chair.