Inga Sempé (born 1968) is a French designer known for creating technical items,[1] including furniture, lamps, and other design objects. She has collaborated with renowned manufacturers such as Ligne Roset, Alessi, and Baccarat. In 2007, she received the prestigious Red Dot Design Award.
In 1994, Inga Sempé collaborated with Australian designer Marc Newson, and from 1997 to 1999, she worked with French designer Andrée Putman. Beginning in 2000, she collaborated with Italian design companies Cappellini and Edra while also establishing her own company in Paris.[3] Sempé focuses on creating sustainable and simple, yet not minimalist, objects.
For Inga Sempé, functionality is paramount, and the choice of material must support it. She is known for creating versatile designs, such as lamps that can be extended like accordions and a suitcase prototype for the manufacturer VIA that can replace a hotel wardrobe by adjusting its size.[4] She collaborates with Italian, French, and Scandinavian design companies, designing furniture, decor, and various objects for brands like Alessi,[5]Ligne Roset, Baccarat, Tectona, HAY, LucePlan, Moustache, and the American manufacturer Artecnica.
Works
Many of Inga Sempé's lamps feature fan-like lampshades that create diverse light and shadow effects. The Plissé pendant lamp, produced by Luceplan, is designed with pleated material that can be unfolded like an accordion. In 2009, the lamp manufacturer Moustache introduced the Vapeur series of pendant and table lamps, distinguished by their unique lampshades made from densely folded Tyvek fleece. This thin, paper-like material is available in either white or printed with delicate, fine lines in soft colors.
The Swedish lamp manufacturer Wästberg offers a clip lamp designed by Inga Sempé, which can be used as a table lamp or hung on the wall.[3]
In 2024, the Triennale Milano hosted an exhibition titled Inga Sempé, La Casa Imperfetta ("The Imperfect House"), curated by Marco Sammicheli.[7][8][9]
Awards
In 2000-2001, Inga Sempé received a scholarship for the Villa Medici, an institution of the Académie de France à Rome. In 2003, she was awarded the 8000-Euro Major Design Award of the City of Paris.[10] In 2007, she won the Red Dot Design Award for her upholstered furniture Moël.[11] In 2012, she was a guest of honor at the Stockholm Furniture & Northern Light Fair.[12]
References
^Pia Volk: Die Herrin der Dinge., in: Süddeutsche Zeitung Magazin, issue 39, 25 September 2015, p. 33.
