Jens Risom at FORM portfolios

© FORM portfolios
Anders Brun
+45 42521417
ab@formportfolios.com
www.formportfolios.com

JENS RISOM
THE
ANSWER
IS RISOM

JENS RISOM
JENS RISOM
BROUGHT SCANDINAVIAN
AESTHETICS TO AMERICA AND
PLAYED A SIGNIFICANT ROLE IN
20TH CENTURY DESIGN.
5

HANS KNOLL AND
RISOM TOOK A FOUR
MONTH ROADTRIP
THROUGHOUT THE US TO
STUDY THE AMERICAN
DESIGN SCENE. THIS
GAVE THEM A UNIQUE
KNOWLEDGE OF WHAT
WAS NEEDED IN THE US
MARKETS.

7

DESIGNED BY RISOM
IN 1942, THE 654
LOUNGE CHAIR WAS
PART OF THE FIRST
KNOLL FURNITURE
LINE.

9

WITH 300 EMPLOYEES,
JENS RISOM DESIGN
MANUFACTURED IN HOUSE
FURNITURE AND TEXTILES.

11

THE
ANSWER
IS RISOM
BOLD AND REMARKABLE,
THE SLOGAN OF JENS RISOM
DESIGN WAS MARKETED WITH
AN IMAGE CAMPAIGN SHOT BY
RENOWNED PHOTOGRAPHER
RICHARD AVEDON.

13

DAN
American Twist How this pastry has come to be called “Danish” is something of a mystery because it’s an American coff
was born and educated in Copenhagen and brought up on Scandinavian architecture and design. Since coming to this c
revolutionized American taste. Risom furniture is crafted of American materials and hand-finished in the Risom plant in

ISH
ee cake of Viennese ancestry. How Risom furniture is mistakenly called Danish is more understandable. Jens Risom
ountry in 1939, he has been among the handful of designers and manufacturers of contemporary furniture who have
North Grosvenordale, Connecticut. In Copenhagen, Jens Risom furniture is called American.
15

PLAYBOY MAGAZINE
FEATURED IN JULY 1961
JENS RISOM AS ONE OF
THE SIX MOST INFLUENTIAL
DESIGNERS IN THE US.

JENS RISOM’S BLOCK
ISLAND FAMILY RETREAT
WAS FEATURED ON THE
MAGAZINE COVERS OF
LIFE IN 1967 AND DWELL
IN 2013.

FURNITURE

LYNDON B. JOHNSON
USED JENS RISOM FURNITURE
IN THE WHITE HOUSE WHILE
HE SERVED AS PRESIDENT OF
THE UNITED STATES
OF AMERICA.

C140 Armchair in walnut with upholstered seat and cane back
23

U430 Low upholstered armchair in walnut or birch

25

1156 Armchair in walnut with upholstered seat and back

27

C375 Bar chair with upholstered seat
C224 Side chair

Side chair in birch and walnut C250
Side chair with upholstered seat C251
Side chair C275
29

C250 Side chair in birch and walnut

C224 Side chair with upholstered seat
31

1152 Armchair in walnut and ash 43.6000 Round reading table

33

1152 Armchair in walnut and ash

35

T720P Side table
720.001 All purpose table
1145 Armchair

Arm height table with drawer 4041
End table 4079
37

2568-373 Two-seater sofa

39

COMFORT VS FUNCTION
IN FURNITURE CAN BE
QUICKLY RESOLVED.
A WELL-DESIGNED
SOFA SETTLES THE
QUESTION IN ONE
SITTING.
JENS RISOM

41

U110 Three-seater sofa

2115 Low armchair on wood base U450 Low armless chair on wood base
43

2315 Two-person sofa 2415 Two-person armless sofa

2309 Two-seater sofa
45

2134 Upholstered structure armchair

2534 Three-seater structure sofa
47

7260 Three-seater Series 7200 sofa
2515 Three-seater sofa with arms

Two-seater sofa 2339
Three-person sofa 2509
49

U450 SERIES 7200 Lounge seating
Low armless chair on aluminium base

Three-seater lounge sofa 7200 SERIES
Chair 67 SERIES
51

3517 Ottoman for 2117

2127 High back wing chair
53

2136 A-Chair low upholstered armchair with walnut base

55

GOOD DESIGN
IS SOMETHING THAT
PLEASES THE EYE
JENS RISOM

57

2115 Upholstered Easy-chair
2136 Low upholstered armchair

Armchair with low back 1109
Low armchair 2137
59

U416 Large low armless chair

61

GOOD DESIGN
MEANS THAT ANYTHING
GOOD WILL GO WELL WITH
OTHER EQUALLY GOOD
THINGS.
JENS RISOM

63

U450 Low armless chair on aluminium base

U450 Low armless chair on wood base
65

1242-80 Revolving side chair
1142-80 Revolving armchair

Low revolving armchair 2142-81
Side chair 1242-86
67

OFFICE Desk
69

TO SOME,
THE MAN MAKES
THE OFFICE.
TO OTHERS,
THE OFFICE MAKES
THE MAN.
THIS IS THE FURNITURE
THAT MAKES
THE OFFICE FOR
THE MAN.
OFFICE Upholstered swivel office chair

Upholstered swivel office chair OFFICE
Double pedestal desk in walnut OFFICE
71

Wood waste basket 09211 Conical 09212 Square 09214 Cylinder

09127/09146 Desk and library set
73

09161 Pencil cup
09214 Wood waste basket, cylinder

THE ANSWER IS RISOM
Book ends 09165
75

77

KNOLL Lounge chair
KNOLL
HIGHLIGHTS

KNOLL
Dining table
KNOLL
Coffee table
KNOLL
Side chair
KNOLL
Child´s stool
KNOLL
Lounge chair
KNOLL
Lounge chair with arms
79

DWR Risom Rocker
DESIGN
WITHIN REACH
HIGHLIGHTS

DWR
Jens Ottoman
DWR
Jens Bench
DWR
Jens Chair
DWR
T.710 Small Side Table
DWR
Risom Desk
DWR
Ven Storage Collection
81

RALPH PUCCI Upholstered Stool
RALPH PUCCI
HIGHLIGHTS

RALPH PUCCI
Big Chair
RALPH PUCCI
Bench
RALPH PUCCI
A Chair
RALPH PUCCI
#3 Sofa
RALPH PUCCI
Easy Chair With Arms
RALPH PUCCI
Easy Sofa
83

ROCKET GALLERY T539
ROCKET GALLERY
HIGHLIGHTS

ROCKET GALLERY
U431
ROCKET
U431
ROCKET GALLERY
C275
ROCKET GALLERY
C275
ROCKET GALLERY
T390
ROCKET GALLERY
T621
85

Jens Risom, son of acclaimed architect Sven Risom, was born in 1916 in Copenhagen,
Denmark. After two years of studies at Niels Brock Copenhagen Business
College, Jens Risom attended The School of Arts and Crafts in Copenhagen from
1935 to 1938 along with Hans J. Wegner and Børge Mogensen. He studied Industrial
arts and design under architect Kaare Klint and furniture designer Ole
Wanscher.
In 1937 and 1938, Risom participated in the prestigious Cabinet Maker’s Guild
yearly exhibition. In 1939, Jens Risom emigrated to New York to pursue design
in America. Jens Risom designed most of Hans Knoll’s first design collection -
the 600 line - which was released in 1942 and became a huge success. After
serving in the US army during WWII, Jens Risom briefly continued to work with
Hans Knoll before establishing his own design company, Jens Risom Design, in
1946. Jens Risom Design started out selling contemporary furniture for private
homes but expanded its range in the 1950s to include office, library and hospital
furniture. Jens Risom Design was extremely successful and grew to be one of the
largest furniture companies in America, employing 300 workers in 1970 and with
showrooms in New York, Chicago, Atlanta, Los Angeles and San Franciso as well
as licensees in Argentina, England, Denmark, Canada, Singapore and Australia.
In recent years Jens Risom collaborated with Herman Miller owned Design Within
Reach, Ralph Pucci and Rocket Gallery to relaunch pieces from his collection
as well as creating new designs that are now in production.
Jens Risom was married twice and has four children with first wife Iben Risom
and 11 grandchildren. Jens Risom turned 100 in May 2016 and lived in New
Canaan, Connecticut until his death on December 9th, 2016. FORM portfolios
is working with Jens Risom’s children to ensure his legacy and the quality of his
many designs and further establish his furniture in the American, European and
Asian markets.
© FORM portfolios
Anders Brun
+45 42521417
ab@formportfolios.com
www.formportfolios.com