Jens Risom

Jens Risom (1916-2016) was born in Copenhagen, Denmark and came by his talent naturally from his father, Sven Risom, a member of the school of Nordic Classicism. Risom trained as a designer under Ole Wanscher and Kaare Klint along with fellow classmates Hans Wegner and Borge Mogensen at the Copenhagen School of Industrial Arts and Design. He went on to business college before working and later relocated to Stockholm where, through his work at Nordiska Kompaniet, he was introduced to Alvar Aalto and Bruno Mathsson. In 1939 Jens emigrated to the United States. His big breakthrough and opportunity came when he met Hans Knoll. Together he and Hans launched an icon, Hans Knoll Furniture Company which is now Knoll International. Jens Risom is considered responsible for introducing Danish modern furniture to the United States. Fifteen of the twenty initial offerings in the inaugural Knoll catalog were designed by Risom. He left Knoll in 1946 and founded Jens Risom Design, Inc. You cannot obtain more true mid-century modern design classics than pieces by Jens Risom.