Arne Norell

ARNE NORELL (Sweden, 1917 - 1971).
Ilona" armchair, 1960s.
Rosewood and dyed leather.
Exhibits wear consistent with age and use.
Measurements: 84 x 80 x 83 cm.
The Ilona Armchair is part of the creative universe of Arne Norell, Ilona arises in this context as a response to the idea of "lived seat": an armchair that does not impose a posture, but adapts to the body. Its design, based on a clear structure and a system of loose cushions, allows for a more relaxed ergonomics, almost domestic in the most intimate sense of the term. This approach was not accidental: Norell had traveled and studied different traditions, incorporating international influences, including certain constructive solutions inspired by field furniture, which he reinterpreted with a Nordic sensibility. Unlike other more industrialized pieces of the time, the Ilona always maintained a strong connection to handcrafted production.
Furniture designer and manufacturer, the Swede Arne Norell opened his own workshop in Stockholm in 1954, and four years later moved to the Swedish province of Småland, where he created the company Möbel AB Arne Norell. He was a versatile creator, who successfully exploited the various combinations of materials offered by tradition and industrial innovations. He used turned wood, bentwood, leather, fabric and metal in various forms to build his furniture, which was always characterized by a combination of comfort and lightness. Many of his designs came on the market after his death, manufactured by the company he founded, today under the name Norell Möbel AB.