Niels Bendtsen has been immersed in design and craftsmanship his entire life. From a young age, he worked with his father to produce Scandinavian-influenced furniture, and then went on to study, instruct, and finally design pieces of his own. One of his early designs, the Ribbon Chair (1975), sits in the permanent collection at the MoMA.Born in Denmark in 1943, Bendtsen emigrated to Canada in 1951 and opened his first retail store, Danet Interiors (now Inform Interiors) in 1963. In 1981 Bendtsen founded his own manufacturing line, Bensen, to create high-quality pieces that are both affordable and elegant.Bendtsen has worked as a Designer for international companies such as Magis, Montis, Moroso, Starbucks, and FLOS. Bendtsen strives to design pieces that are intelligent: a harmony of design, manufacturing, and function that can adapt with their timeless look. “Quality is a funny concept. We tend to think of it as being associated with handcraft. But quality is also about your attitude to design. Craftsmanship is just as much about how you run the machines that are necessary for economic viability.” - Niels Bendtsen