AMSTERDAM.- From 14 May to 18 October 2026 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.

Although the name Kho Liang Ie may not be widely known today, in the 1960s and 1970s he was recognised as one of the foremost Dutch designers and also earned significant international acclaim. He gained worldwide recognition for his designs for companies such as Artifort and Mosa. Up until 2002, there was even a famous Dutch design award named in his honour. But even those who are not familiar with him will undoubtedly have come across his designs – whether at Schiphol Airport, or in the form of his furniture in the currently popular ‘mid-century modern’ style.

EARLY SUCCESS

When Kho Liang Ie passed away in 1975 at the age of 47, he left behind an impressive body of work, including furniture, interiors, and graphic design. He was born in 1927 in Magelang, Indonesia, the country where the Kho family, originally from China, had lived for generations. In 1949, he moved to the Netherlands and studied interior architecture at what would later become the Rietveld Academy. While still a student, he achieved success: his design for a drinks cabinet was published in the prestigious magazine Goed Wonen (Good Living), and his graduation project for the renovation of a youth hostel was actually carried out.

After graduating, Kho worked as a consultant and exhibition maker at the Goed Wonen foundation and was also an editorial board member of the Goed Wonen journal. From 1956 to 1959, he worked with Wim Crouwel on designing exhibitions, stands for companies, and posters. This led to their work being featured several times in the renowned international magazine Domus. Kho also designed a lot of furniture during this period. In 1957, he and Wim Crouwel won an important furniture design competition in Cantù, Italy, where six pieces of metal furniture were produced and exhibited.

FROM ARTIFORT TO MOSA, CAR, AND BRUYNZEEL
Kho Liang Ie went on to work for several distinguished companies, including Bruynzeel, Mosa (which has resumed production of his wall tiles), and furniture manufacturers CAR and Artifort. His collaboration with the latter lasted for many years. He not only designed furniture for Artifort (some of which is still in production or has been reintroduced), but also served as an ‘aesthetic consultant’ for all the brand’s products and events – a remarkable step at the time. He also introduced international designers, such as Pierre Paulin and Geoffrey Harcourt, to the company. This not only propelled Artifort’s significant national and international success but also brought an international network to the Netherlands.

With his visionary approach, Kho contributed to the development of what were then modern concepts such as open-plan offices, interiors for one-person households and, together with Geoffrey Harcourt, flexible and modular furnishings for small homes. The large roller shutter cabinets of the KTS system, inspired by the enormous wicker cabin trunks used in Asia to transport household goods, contain a bed, table, mood lighting, and storage space – ideal for people who live in small spaces and/or move frequently. Although only produced as prototypes at the time, these ideas are still relevant today.

SCHIPHOL
In 1963, his impressive track record led to a major commission: the design of the new terminal building at Schiphol Airport, which opened four years later. Noting that travellers are often anxious, Kho designed a barrier-free entrance for a streamlined arrival; two discreet steps leading down after passport control instilled a sense of calm, while the balustrade handrails incorporated oak for a warm, natural feel. Unlike the subdued colour scheme, designed to be non-distracting, the characteristic yellow way-finding system was meant to catch the eye.

Ingeborg de Roode, curator of industrial design: “For the signage, Kho enlisted the help of graphic designer Benno Wissing of the newly founded design agency Total Design. However, Schiphol’s famous streamlined arrow was drawn by Kho himself or under his direction at his design agency, and he was closely involved in the development of the signage. And with that, his name should certainly be mentioned alongside that of Wissing. Together, they created a design that had huge international appeal and has also been used in various forms abroad.”

Kho’s design for Schiphol Airport received worldwide recognition. Even though much of the interior has since disappeared, you can still see the iconic slatted ceiling of the piers and the stainless steel wall panelling between Schiphol Plaza and the departure and arrival halls.

INTERNATIONAL OUTLOOK AND NETWORK
With his Chinese/Indonesian heritage and international outlook, Kho Liang Ie’s designs effortlessly blended Asian, Danish, Italian, and American influences. He aimed to professionalise the field; he was a lecturer, board member of various professional associations, initiated exhibitions and conferences, and wrote for Domus for many years. He also partnered with pioneering designers such as Wim Crouwel and Gerrit Rietveld, and artists like Carel Visser, Corneille, Shinkichi Tajiri, and Sheila Hicks. His network included Benno Premsela, Friso Kramer, Klaas Gubbels, Pearl Perlmutter, Ettore Sottsass, Lisa Licitra Ponti, and Kenji Ekuan.

In 1974, British architect Norman Foster, who admired the work Kho had done for Schiphol Airport, invited him to collaborate on a major project: the interior of the Sainsbury Centre at the University of East Anglia in Norwich, UK. It was not to be – Kho fell ill and died a year later. Foster writes in the catalogue that Kho’s work was so inspiring that he hopes his interior design is in the spirit of what Kho would have created.

Rein Wolfs, director Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam: “Kho Liang Ie’s work has left an enduring impression on the world of design and interior architecture. His untimely death prevented him from fully establishing his fame. Beyond paying homage to an exceptional designer, this exhibition is also an opportunity to rediscover his work. He adds breadth to the canon through his focus on the human scale and his very own interpretation of modernism.”

THE EXHIBITION
Kho Liang Ie – Mid-Century Modernist is the first major retrospective of the designer in more than fifty years. 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.

PUBLICATION
The exhibition catalogue is the first monographic publication since the book by Ineke van Ginneken from 1986, and is also the first to feature full-colour images, making it clear that colour played a vital role in Kho Liang Ie’s work. The exhibition and book also feature photos of his designs in private homes, highlighting users’ continued appreciation of his work. With texts by Rein Wolfs, Ingeborg de Roode, Jason Falkenburg, Marieke Berkers, Norman Foster, and Eng Bo Kho. Published by Jap Sam Books, Dutch and English edition, 200 pages, €45.

Kho Liang Ie – Mid-Century Modernist is curated by Ingeborg de Roode, in collaboration with Eng Bo Kho.