Denmark 1926 – 1998

Verner Panton broke with the Danish tradition of simple, pure and elegant lines in wooden furniture, and experimented with colour and new materials. He was a craftsman who used plastic and metal to create objects with a more international look. Verner started his career working in Arne Jacobsen’s office in 1951. He had graduated from the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts the same year. He then established his own studio in 1955.

In 1960, he presented the result of a dream he had had for a long time; a chair moulded in one piece of plastic. This chair, simply called “Panton chair” is one of the clearest icons of its time and made Panton’s name internationally famous. Verner Panton was a prolific designer of not only furniture, but also lighting and textiles. His colour-system “Pantone” is still used all over the world.