The Donald Judd Foundation has filed a lawsuit against Kim Kardashian, alleging that she falsely attributed the design of her tables and chairs to the late minimalist artist.
ADVERTISEMENTBack in August 2022, Kim Kardashian opened the doors to her SKKN skincare HQ, offering fans a glimpse into the chic office space decked out by West Hollywood interior-design company Clements Design.
In the video, the billionaire media personality and SKIMS co-founder shows off the office's sleek, neutral-toned aesthetic, highlighting a particular set of furniture: "These Donald Judd tables are really amazing and totally blend in with the seats," she remarks in the since-deleted video shared on SKKN's YouTube channel.
But as it turns out, the tables aren't actually the work of Donald Judd, and the non-profit foundation that look after the late artist's legacy aren't too pleased...
Donald Judd, who died in 1994, was a renowned American artist who rejected traditional forms of sculpture in favour of creating straightforward, minimalist objects with clear and definite forms.
His work has been exhibited internationally since the 1950s, with major solo shows held at prestigious museums such as the Whitney Museum of American Art and the Stedelijk Van Abbemuseum in the Netherlands.
His foundation alleges that the tables and chairs featured in the video are "knockoff" versions of Judd's "La Mansana Table 22" and "Chair 84", naming Clements Design, the company responsible for the furniture, for trademark and copyright infringement.
“As an artist’s foundation, our primary mission is to protect and preserve his work,” said Rainer Judd, president of Judd Foundation and daughter of the late artist, in the complaint.
“Ms. Kardashian’s furniture is irrefutably fake. The existence of inauthentic furniture undermines the integrity of his original work, which includes specifications of design, craftsmanship and materials."
After the foundation's attempts to resolve the dispute out of court, which it claims were met with "delays and excuses from Ms. Kardashian and Clements Design," legal action was ensued.
In a statement, Clements Design said there were “obvious key differences” between its furniture and Judd’s work and that the firm was “blindsided” by the lawsuit. The company further stated: “These claims have absolutely no merit.”
This isn’t the first time the Judd Foundation has taken legal action to safeguard the artist’s legacy - in 2022, it sued two art galleries for leaving irremovable oily fingerprints on one of his sculptures.
