David Lewis | |
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Born | David Whitfield Lewis 19 February 1939 London, England |
Died | 8 November 2011 Denmark | (aged 72)
Alma mater | Central School of Art and Design |
Occupation | Industrial designer |
Years active | 1961–2011 |
David Whitfield Lewis (19 February 1939 – 8 November 2011) was a British industrial designer. He is best known for his work for Bang & Olufsen. He was a distinguished member of Royal Designers for Industry. Several of the products he designed are included in the MoMA permanent collection of design.[1]
David Whitfield Lewis was born in London. He wanted to become a furniture designer, but the class at London's Central School of Art and Design was full. So instead, he decided on education as an industrial designer.[2] He had a keen interest in Danish design and architecture.
He met a Danish au pair, who would later become his wife. The couple moved to Denmark in the 1960s.[3]
Lewis founded David Lewis Designers in Copenhagen, and from this studio, he would live to design an impressive range of products. In the early 1980s, Bang & Olufsen made David Lewis, their chief designer. This unique freelance relationship resulted in numerous international design icons. Lewis was the studio's man, with his sparkling creativity and vitality always very involved with projects. His fellow claim that he could turn things upside down and chase the yet unseen. He brought a tireless desire to change the conventions and to go new ways. 'He never asked "Why?" but always "Why not?"'
David Lewis is currently represented with three Bang & Olufsen products in the permanent design collection of The Museum of Modern Art, New York. He received several other awards and prizes: