The prestigious permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York now features two Rex chairs created by Slovenia's most famous industrial designer Niko Kralj, who died in 2013. They come from the first production series in 1956.

The chairs were long used by the University of Frankfurt, but on February 12, they were moved to the permanent collection of New York's MoMA. They are among the exhibits that present the development of the industrial age, important milestones of that period, and the rapid progress of human development.

A Slovenian design icon in its rightful place
The process of adding the Rex Chair to the prestigious permanent collection took several years. Non-experts and the public assumed for years that the chair had already been added to MoMA's collection, perhaps because it has been included in similar collections elsewhere around the world. But recently, this iconic example of Slovenian design finally found itself in its rightful place, added the Rex Kralj company.

The father of Slovenian industrial design
Niko Kralj was born in 1921 in the town of Zvrh pri Trojanah. He has gone down in history not just as a designer, but also as a tireless experimenter, innovator, and teacher. He designed numerous chairs and sets of furniture. In addition to designing individual products and product lines, which could be found in homes and offices of the late 20th century, the father of Slovenian industrial design was also determined to train new designers and to make the manufacturing process more efficient.

Niko Kralj received numerous awards for his work, including the prestigious Prešeren award in 1962. His creative career spanned almost the entire second half of the 20th century. He died in 2013 at the age of 92.