Jens Risom was born in Copenhagen in 1916. After studying at Business College, Risom started to work for small design studios in Stockholm. Risom also worked at the design department of Nordiska Kompaniet (NK), where he was exposed to the work by Bruno Mathsson and Alvar Aalto.

He was one of the first designers to bring the Scandinavian style to the United States. The Side Chair with cedar frame and a woven cord seat and back, for the furniture producer Knoll, is one of his most recognised designs. Originally it was produced in 1943 and later modified, when wartime restrictions on the use of particular materials were lifted.