The autodidactic Danish sculptor brought Scandinavian Modern design to America and the rest of the world by combining form with function to home goods.

By Angelina Kaul

“The manufacturers are disappointed that I just call myself ‘tegner.’ They want something impressive for advertising purposes: the architect, the artist, or something like that. I can’t help them with that. If I can’t be tegner, it will have to be sculptor….” During the Mid Century Modern period, it was with this independent attitude that Danish sculptor and industrial designer Jens Quistgaard introduced his Scandinavian Modern products to Americans and rose to international fame.

A Hands-On Education

Born in Copenhagen on April 23, 1919, Quistgaard was trained in the traditional methods of arts and crafts from early childhood. His father was a sculptor and his mother, an artist. As a young boy, he forged knives, jewelry and ceramic works in the kitchen. “I attended neither the Academy nor any school of arts and crafts, but already from the age of four or five my father taught me the joy of creating.”