Torbjørn Afdal (born October 25 th 1917 at Voss – Norway, died January 15 th 1999 ) was a Norwegian furniture designer. He graduated from the State Crafts and Art Industry School in 1946 and was soon emplyeed at the design office Tegnekontoret Bruksbo AS.
He became one of the leading designers at Tegnekontoret Bruksbo as well as throughout Scandinavia. His furniture was purchased by Jacqueline Kennedy as the First Lady in the White House and by the Japanese Emperor. In his older days, he designed the Stortinget chairs and chairs and table for the town hall in Oslo. Furthermore, he designed the office of then primeminister Gro Harlem Bruntland. At the exhibition Norwegian Icons Oslo 2013 he is represented with a number of his furniture. In the catalog of the exhibition it is stated that Afdal was among the post-war period’s most productive furniture designers. Furthermore, it is said that Afdal’s work is characterized primarily by refined material and form-understanding. Around 1960, Torbjørn Afdal’s furniture design became more architectural and the Armchair armchair Broadway, together with Hunter was one of his artistic highlights from the period. Same with the Krobo benches.
Afdal was also an artistic director of Bruksbo furniture shop at Plus in Fredrikstad.
Torbjørn Afdal belonged to the Scandinavian / Danish design tradition and used traditional design language with clean lines and solid constructions. His most used materials were teak and rosewood in combination with leather and steel. He was heavily influenced by Danish furniture design and is mistakenly often stated to be a Danish designer.