Nanna Ditzel 1923-2005 INDUSTRIAL DESIGNER FURNITURE, TEXTILES, JEWELLERY

Biography
Born in Copenhagen, Denmark in 1923. Trained as a cabinetmaker before studies at the Industrial Arts and Crafts College and the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Copenhagen. Graduated in furniture design in 1946. In the same year established own design studio with Jørgen Ditzel and has since then been working in the design sector.

From the start of her career in the post war years, a period with few women in furniture design, she has been challenged by new materials and new techniques. Has worked in various materials such as fibre glass, wickerwork and foam rubber and in various trades such as cabinet-making, jewellery, tableware, applied art and textiles.

In the 50's she experimented with split-level floor seating. From 1968 to '86 lived in London, establishing the international furniture house Interspace in Hampstead with Kurt Heide.

Among her designs in continuous production are jewellery for Georg Jensen, textiles for Kvadrat and furniture for Fredericia. Nanna Ditzel has exhibited internationally at One Woman exhibitions in Amsterdam, Berlin, New York, Vienna, London, Stockholm, Milan, Glasgow, Manchester, Reykjavik and Denmark.

Awarded numerous international prizes, including, in 1990, the Gold Medal in the International Furniture Design Competition, Japan, for her Bench for Two (Fredericia). Elected Honorable Royal Designer in London in 1996 and awarded the lifelong Artists' Grant by the Danish Ministry of Culture in 1998.

Further information:
The film on Nanna Ditzel, her designs and working methods (Produced 1991 by Danish Ministry of Education). Motion and Beauty; The Book of Nanna Ditzel, by Henrik Sten M¿ller (Published by Rhodos 1998).

Curriculum Vitae
1923 Born in Copenhagen, Denmark.
1942 Apprentice as a cabinetmaker.
1945 Royal Academy of Fine Arts, Furniture School, Copenhagen. Awarded Second Prize in Cabinetmakers' Guild exhibition together with husband J¿rgen Ditzel, with whom all works were undertaken until 1961.
1946 Graduated from Industrial Arts and Crafts College, Copenhagen. Established design studio in Copenhagen with J¿rgen Ditzel.
1947 Took part in and won prizes in eight competitions (furniture, textiles, glass, enamel and ceramics).
1950 First Prize in Goldsmiths' Joint Council competition. Winner of Cabinetmakers' Guild competition.
1951 Silver Medal, Triennale, Milan.
1953 Scholarship for design studies in Rome.
1954 Silver Medal, Triennale, Milan. Wrote the book Danish Chairs.
1956 Awarded the Lunning Prize.
1957 Silver Medal, Triennale, Milan.
1960 Gold Medal, Triennale, Milan, for Georg Jensen jewellery.
1961 Responsible for the exhibition Deense Woonkunst in Amsterdam. Death of J¿rgen Ditzel.
1962 One-woman exhibition in London.
1963 One-woman exhibition in New York.
1964 One-woman exhibitions in Berlin and Vienna. Designed the furnishing fabric Hallingdal for Halling-Koch Design Centre, Copenhagen. (Today by Kvadrat).
1968 Marries Kurt Heide, moves to England.
1970 Establishes the Interspace International Furniture house in London with Kurt Heide.
1980 First of ongoing annual participations in the Cabinetmakers' exhibition in the association SE.
1981 Elected Chairman of the Design and Industries Association, London.
1986 Moved to Denmark, established design studio in Copenhagen.
1988 Colour scheme for Danish State Railways.
1990 Awarded Gold Medal for Bench for Two at the International Furniture Design Competition in Asahikawa, Japan.
1991 Film on Nanna Ditzel by Danish Ministry of Education.
1992 Exhibitions in Denmark.
1993 One-woman exhibition in Milan.
1994 One-woman exhibition at The Museum of Decorative Art, Copenhagen.
1995 Participant in the exhibition Living Design, in Madrid and Barcelona. Awarded the ID Prize for the Trinidad chair. Elected Knight of the Order of Dannebrog.
1996 One-woman exhibition in Manchester and Glasgow. Elected Honourable Royal Designer, London.
1997 One-woman exhibitions in London, Iceland and Denmark. Awarded the Honorary Grant of the Anniversary Foundation of the Danish National Bank.
1998 Awarded the lifelong Artist's Grant by the Danish Ministry of Culture. Motion and Beauty, The Book of Nanna Ditzel, by Henrik Sten M¿ller, published by Rhodos, Denmark.
1999 Awarded Thorvald Bindesboll Medal.
2001 Awarded the Danish Design Prize (Classic Prize) 2001, for Hallingdal textiles.
2005 Nanna Ditzel die, 17 June.

MANUFACTURERS
 
• FREDERICIA FURNITURE A/S
 
• PP MØBLER Aps
 
• KVADRAT A/S
 
• GH FORM

• DYNAMO STOL

• BONACINA PIERANTONIO
 
• GEORG JENSEN

• GETAMA DANMARK A/S
 
• K.BALLING-ENGELSEN A/S
 
• KVIST MØBLER A/S