The Copenhagen Carpentry Guild awards furniture makers Egeværk with the Carpentry Prize for their innovative approach to the renowned Danish tradition of fine furniture. The prize comes with DKK 150.000.
The Danish furniture traditions are strong, and high standards have been set by generations of architects, craftsmen, and designers. While being a carpenter is one profession in most countries, you choose between three different specializations in Denmark. One is specialized in buildings, one in furniture and one in handling the machinery of the craft. The recipients of this year’s Carpentry Award represent the specialized craft well; Mette Bentzen is trained as a machine carpenter and Lasse Kristensen as a furniture carpenter. The prize winners are very aware that they stand on the shoulders of the exquisite Danish furniture tradition. Both of them are trained at PP Furniture and got to practice their craft on pieces by Hans J. Wegner, Nanna Ditzel, Børge Mogensen and Zaha Hadid. Inarguably, they learned to speak the language of Danish mid-century modern fluently.
The Copenhagen Carpentry Guild hands out the prestigious Carpentry Prize annually to honour knowledge, tradition and innovation within Danish carpentry, and the prize comes with DKK 150.000 donated by the Kirsten and Freddy Johansen’s Foundationin Copenhagen.
In 2018, the stronghold of Nordic cuisine – Noma– was awarded the prize for the uncompromising designof their new restaurant in Copenhagen. The choice of Noma reflected an appreciation of the A-Z use of carpentry throughout the exterior as well as interior of the restaurant.
On Friday the 26th of April, the 2019 prize was awarded to two craftsmen; furniture makers Mette Bentzen and Lasse Kristensen of Egeværk. Egeværk is commended for an utterly explorative approach to their material, and the impaccable quality of their works. World class unique pieces of furniture and sculptures are created in the Hundested workshop (one hours drive north of Copenhagen) attracting a lot of attention with exhibitions in several European countries as well as in the US.
”The Copenhagen Carpentry Guild wishes to reward Egeværk for the way they pass on the traditions of Danish carpentry. Furthermore, prize winners Mette Bentzen and Lasse Kristensen have convincingly managed to combine tradition and innovation in their works”,master of the Copenhagen Carpentry Guild, Mads Raaschou, explains. ”Egeværk’s uncompromising approach is compelling and resonates with audiences in Denmark as well as abroad.”