ArtistDanish
Andreas Hansen
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Andreas Hansen was born in 1936 in Denmark and trained as a cabinetmaker in Ringe, earning his journeyman's certificate in 1956. He went on to study at the Kunsthaandvaerkerskolen (School of Applied Arts) in Copenhagen, graduating in 1962, before completing a year at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts' furniture department in 1963. That same year he established his own design studio, from which he has worked continuously ever since.
Early in his career Hansen took an interest in lamp design, creating a series of shades for Le Klint that departed sharply from the company's established aesthetic. Where classic Le Klint models use soft pleating, Hansen's designs employed a tight zigzag fold that gave the shades a more angular, graphic quality. The work attracted attention and helped define him as a designer willing to push against convention while still working within the domestic Danish craft tradition.
For furniture Hansen collaborated with several Danish manufacturers. Hadsten Traeindustri, based in the Jutland town of Hadsten, produced his teak and pine desks and secretaries, pieces that blend practical storage with clean joinery. Arrebo Mobler commissioned tables and occasional pieces in teak, and Eilersen became the manufacturer for what is arguably his most recognized design: the Spider table. The Spider's slender chrome frame - a web of interlocking steel rods supporting a glass or stone top - gives the piece a lightness that contrasts with the solidity typical of mid-century Danish furniture. It has remained in continuous production for Eilersen.
Alongside his studio practice Hansen taught at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts from 1968 to 1988, and at the Designskolen (Design School) from 1970 to 1973. Travel to Italy early in his career, including time spent at architecture offices associated with Vilhelm Wohlert and Mogens Koch, shaped his understanding of proportion and materiality. He also designed the Mandalay pendant for Louis Poulsen, extending his work across furniture, storage and lighting.
On the Nordic auction market, Hansen's work appears primarily at Danish houses - Palsgaard Kunstauktioner, Bruun Rasmussen, Bidstrup Auktioner, and Sorensen Auktioner - as well as at Stockholms Auktionsverk in Sweden. The most frequently traded pieces are the Spider coffee and side tables for Eilersen, teak shelf systems, and secretaries produced by Hadsten Traeindustri. Prices have ranged from a few hundred to around 7,000 SEK, reflecting the market for well-made but accessible mid-century Danish studio furniture.