Jens Risom was born on 8 May 1916 in Copenhagen, Denmark. He was married to Dr. Henny Panduro Madsen and Iben Haderup. He died on 9 December 2016 in New Canaan, Connecticut, USA.
He was one of the last living icons of mid-century American design. He designed tables, sofas, cabinets, and chairs, including a lounge chair made of discarded military parachute straps. One of his chairs was in President Johnson's Oval Office.
