Jens Risom

Jens Risom (1916-2016) through his work built a bridge between American design and Scandinavian modernism. His own biography tells the story of a figure divided between these two worlds: born in Denmark, son of the famous architect Sven Risom, he was a pupil of the great Kaare Klint and emigrated to the United States in 1938, initially dealing with textile design. In the 1940s he met the young Hans Knoll and became one of the pillars of the nascent Knoll Inc.: The first designer to work for the brand, he imposed his measured and welcoming style, often played on a wide use of wood. In 1943 he enlisted for the American army and fought in the Second World War, and on his return to the company his ideas no longer found a place, supplanted by the passion for modernism and the Bauhaus of Hans's wife, Florence Knoll. He then founded his own brand, Jens Risom Design (JRD), long one of the most popular in the industry, so much so that one of his office chairs was chosen by President Lyndon Johnson to be used in the Oval Office of the White House. Among the numerous awards obtained in his two homelands, the Knighthood conferred on him in 1996 by the Queen of Denmark Margaret II stands out. Since 1997 Knoll has successfully put his creations back into production, but his signature also appears in the proposals of brands such as Design Within Reach, Stellar Works, Fredericia and De Padova.