Pair Of Vintage Armchairs By Ingmar Relling (1920 - 2002) Westnofa Edition From The 1970s

Pair of vintage armchairs by Ingmar Relling (1920 - 2002) Westnofa edition from the 1970s The structure is made of solid curved wood. Covered in beige leather. The cushions are removable. Used condition H 96 W 80 D 75 / seat 52 cm The architect and designer Ingmar Relling (1920-2002) is known as one of the most internationally recognized Norwegian designers. He is considered a major player in the Scandinavian mid-century modern design movement. Relling was born in 1920 in Sykkylven, Norway. At the age of 16, he apprenticed as a carpenter at Vestlandske Møbelfabrik. His brother, Adolf Relling, also a furniture designer, encouraged his younger brother to enroll at the Norwegian National Academy of Crafts and Arts (SHKS) in Oslo. While at SHKS, Relling studied under the accomplished architect Arne Korsmo (1900-1968), who had a considerable influence on his style. Relling graduated in 1947 and began his career as an interior designer at his brother's firm, Rastad & Relling, in Oslo. Relling designed many pieces of furniture for the firm and in 1948 he decorated the rooms of the Royal Norwegian Yacht. In 1950, Relling returned to his hometown, where he founded his own design studio. At this time he also worked with KJ Måseide Alesund and Vestlandske Møbelfabrikk, the latter producing his 420 chair (1950s). In 1954, Relling designed the Nordic chair. Consisting of two separate parts - a seat and a backrest - the Nordic chair could be folded and stored away when not in use, which would appeal to residents of smaller spaces. In 1965, Relling, together with his son Knut Relling, designed the Siesta chair, which won him first prize (that same year) in a competition organised by the Furniture Industry Council. Relling was passionate about creating furniture that was both ergonomic and environmentally friendly, and made sure that his pieces were made in a way that they could be repaired. The frame was usually made of bent and laminated beech, sourced from sustainable forests. The Siesta chair demonstrates Relling's minimalist aesthetic, without compromising on quality, and becomes the defining design of his career. It is a huge commercial success (over 800,000 units have been sold to date) and contributed to the anticipated breakthrough of the Norwegian furniture manufacturer Westnofa on the international market. US President Jimmy Carter purchased Siesta chairs to furnish the White House during his term. In 1992, the Siesta won the Classic Design Award of Excellence from the Norwegian Design Council. Today, the chair is produced by the Norwegian furniture manufacturer LK Hjelle. It is considered a Scandinavian classic, a symbol of Norwegian design. Relling continued to design throughout the 1970s, without achieving the success of the Siesta. One of Relling's most notable designs from the 1970s was the Tema armchair (1973) for Vestlandske Møbelfabrikk. Inspired by the Siesta, the Tema was made of flat steel with a thick leather seat. Relling received numerous awards and honours, including the Jacob Prize in 1978 and the King’s Medal of Merit in 1999, among others. The Siesta chair is held in permanent collections around the world, including the Victoria & Albert Museum in London, the National Gallery of Victoria in Melbourne, Die Neue Sammlung in Munich, the Cooper-Hewitt in New York and the National Museum in Oslo.