Jens Risom

Having set up his own institution, the Jens RisomJRD was sold to the Dictaphone Corporation by
Design, Inc. (JRD) on May 1st, 1946 Jens RisomRisom in the year 1970, where he stayed on as
has never had a second glance backward. Jenschief executive for three years "keeping an eye
Risom Design was one of few companieson the new owners" according to Interiors
specializing in modern furniture design at that timemagazine. From there he later moved on to
when America was recuperating from the pangspursue new interests through his consulting
of War. He worked solely to create his simple,service and free-lance design company, Design
well-crafted, aesthetically pleasing, quality designsControl which was established in 1973, in New
through the Jens Risom Design name. HeCanaan, Connecticut. This is where Jens resides
established a distinction for his company bycurrently, at the age of 92 and still going strong,
focusing on the "Risom" name as the solution towith his spouse, Henny.
the country's search for aesthetically designed,In 1961, Risom was featured on Playboy as a
ingenious and well-crafted contemporary furniture.designer who was "revolutionizing furniture in
Risom has designed furniture for famous clientsAmerica" along with Harry Bertoia who was a
like Richard Avedon and Georg Jensen since then.colleague at Knoll and Charles Eames.
In the late 1940s he was assigned to come upRisom has received a plethora of awards. His
with cabinets for the houses being built by Levittchairs are on display in many museums like the
& Sons on Long Island, New York forYale Museum of Art & Design, the Museum
returning war-fatigued soldiers and their families.of Modern Art in New York, the Brooklyn
These homes needed a sense of design creativityMuseum, the R.I.S.D. Museum in Providence and
to make them seem expansive and attractive inthe Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum. In
spite of being constructed low cost and under1996, Risom was knighted with the Danish Knight's
Federal financing.Cross by the Danish Queen.
As he said himself, he"developed an AmericanIn 1997 Knoll re-manufactured a collection of
version of Scandinavian modern furniture."Risom-designed chairs, tables, chairs and stools
There was great response to his advertisementsthat till today are successful parts of the Knoll
which were bold. These advertisements carriedStudio catalogue. He was the 2004 Honoree of
stylish photographs of Richard Avedon. This madethe Russell Wright Award, which is awarded to
it imperative for Jens Risom Design, in 1954, toindividuals, institutions and companies that carry
expand its manufacturing facilities. Late in theforward Wright's legacy in modern design,
1950s, JRD started manufacturing officelandscape design and environmentalism.
equipments shifting focus from residentialRisom's statement, "good design means that
furniture. He also brought forth library furnitureanything which is good by itself will go with other
and hospital accessories as he felt the avenuethings" laid bare his stylistic philosophy and his
posed greater scope for expansion andexquisite approach to interiors.
improvement.