Erik Magnussen was born in Copenhagen, Danmark, in 1940. He was educated as a ceramist at The School of Applied Arts and Design and graduated with a silver medal in 1960.
For a number of years he worked for Bing and Grøndahl and among the latest works are furniture for Engelbrechts, for Fritz Hansen A/S and Paustian A/S, door handles for Franz Schneider Brakel Gmbh, tabletop in stainless steel and plastic for A/S Stelton and porcelain lamps for Licht & Form.
He reduces to essentials the variety and forms of pieces in a service, making them interchangeable and stackable.
Erik Magnussen's designs are exhibited in museums all over the world and he has received "The Lunning Prize" in 1967.
In 1983 he was chosen "Designer of The Year" by The Danish Design Council and his products have several times received the ID-Prize by The Danish Society Of Industrial Design.
In 1996 Erik Magnussen received the Bindesbøll Medal and grants from the Ole Haslund Fund, The Royal Jueweller A. Michelsen's Anniversary Fund and Knud V. Engelhardt's Memorial Fund. In 1997 Erik Magnussen was awarded the "Rote Punkt" in the "Design Innovations '97" competition held by Design Zentrum Nordrhein-Westfalen and he won the "Good Design Gold Prize" awarded by Japan Industrial Design Promotion Organisation. Erik Magnussen has been given the British design award "Royal Designer for Industry" (RDI) in December 2001.