Artifort

Netherlands

Corporation

Produzent

Artifort’s origins trace back to the upholstery workshop founded by Jules Wagemans in 1890 in Maastricht, Netherlands, which was expanded into a furniture factory and shop in Amsterdam by his son Henricus through the late 1920s. The brand name Artifort was coined as a combination of the words ‘art’ (ars) and ‘strength’ (fortis) in 1928. From the 1930s, the firm’s success was based on its production of patented interior springing for upholstered furniture, which had previously been used in mattresses and car seats. From 1958, Artifort gained international recognition under the artistic direction of designer and interior architect Kho Liang Ie. Liang Ie quickly built relationships with designers such as Pierre Paulin of France and Geoffrey D. Harcourt of Great Britain, who made major contributions to the Pop Art era with their sculptural furniture. Eye-catching lounge chairs like Paulin’s Tongue model (1967) were made possible through innovative construction methods using foam-covered tubular steel frames and elastic fabric coverings, which were by then a speciality of Artifort. Paulin also brought in Jack Lenor Larsen, whose textiles emphasized a harmonious interplay of form, material, and fabric covering. In the 1970s, Paulin and Harcourt were joined by Dutch designers such as Bruno Ninaber van Eyben and Gijs Bakker. Artifort became part of the Belgian Lande Group in 1998, with production facilities in Schijndel, Netherlands, and Lanaken, Belgium. Present-day Artifort designers include René Holten, Ben van Berkel, and Khodi Feiz. Some of Paulin’s and Harcourt’s furniture designs have remained in continuous production, while others have been reissued in recent years. artifort.com, 23.9.2026. Ewald, Jamin, et al., Artifort (Rotterdam: 010, 1990). Ginneke, Ineke van, Kho Liang Ie. Interieurarchitect – industrieel ontwerper (Rotterdam: 010, 1986).