Kho Liang Ie

The Stedelijk presents the first major museum retrospective of Kho Liang Ie who, with his designs for furniture and interiors, played a key role in Dutch design from the 1950s to the mid-1970s. Through his poetic approach and unconventional choice of materials, he infused his functionalist designs with an element of playfulness. He also cultivated a large international network and introduced fresh design talent to the Netherlands.

Strijkers Studio (Eline Strijkers), conceived a spatial design showcasing over 200 objects and extensive visual material covering all aspects of Kho Liang Ie’s oeuvre, including the presentation of part of the interior of Schiphol Airport, a stand for Artifort and a reconstruction of part of his exhibition at the Stedelijk Museum in 1971. The presentation also spotlights his collaboration with celebrated designers and artists such as Pierre Paulin, Geoffrey Harcourt, and Sheila Hicks. His international network and the art collection that emerged from it are also featured, with work by Ettore Sottsass and Niki de Saint Phalle, among others.

Cover image: Kho Liang Ie, model interior for a home for a working woman commissioned by the Foundation Corversbos in Hilversum for the apartment building with the same name, Schuttersweg 1-83 in Hilversum, the Netherlands, 1956 | photo: © Jan Versnel / MAI