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| Inga Sempé | |
|---|---|
| Name | Inga Sempé |
| Birth date | 1968 |
| Birth place | Paris, France |
| Nationality | French |
| Occupation | Industrial designer |
| Alma mater | École nationale supérieure de création industrielle |
Inga Sempé is a French industrial designer known for her work in product, lighting, and object design, collaborating with manufacturers and galleries across Europe and Japan. Her practice bridges studio furniture, lighting systems, and household objects, engaging with contemporary design institutions and commercial producers. Sempé’s projects have been exhibited in museums and biennials and are included in public collections and design awards.
Sempé was born in Paris into a family connected to the visual arts and design milieu, with ties to institutions such as the Centre Pompidou and networks around the École des Beaux-Arts. She studied at the École nationale supérieure de création industrielle and trained under figures associated with studios that collaborated with companies like Vitra, Alessi, and Fermob. During her formative years she spent time in workshops influenced by practitioners linked to the Salone del Mobile, Maison et Objet, and the teaching traditions of École cantonale d'art de Lausanne.
After completing her studies Sempé worked in studios connected to designers who had relationships with firms such as Philippe Starck’s networks, Tom Dixon’s collaborators, and ateliers that produced for Cappellini and Hay. She founded her own studio in Paris, developing commissions for European and Japanese manufacturers including Muuto, Fermob, Ligne Roset, and Moustache. Her practice encompasses prototyping, material research, and production processes that involve collaborations with workshops in regions associated with Artek, Iittala, and Marimekko supply chains. Sempé’s studio negotiates contracts with design houses, galleries, and brands operating within fairs such as Milan Furniture Fair and Design Miami.
Sempé has produced lamps, seating, and accessory lines for international producers: lighting designs for Flos and collaboratives with Louis Poulsen-related manufacturers, seating for firms in the portfolio of Ligne Roset, and household objects for producers like Alessi. She has collaborated with designers and architects from circles connected to Jean Nouvel, Norm Architects, and studios presented at the Venice Biennale of Architecture. Specific product series have been launched at events including SaloneSatellite and exhibitions organized by Design Museum institutions. Her partnerships extend to craft ateliers and publishers affiliated with Le Centre national des arts plastiques and private galleries in Stockholm, Tokyo, and Paris.
Sempé’s aesthetic synthesizes references from Scandinavian craftsmanship associated with Artek and Alvar Aalto, Japanese minimalism linked to Isamu Noguchi and Shiro Kuramata, and French rationalism connected to Charlotte Perriand and Le Corbusier. Her approach emphasizes material honesty found in work by Herman Miller-related designers and a functional clarity reminiscent of pieces in the collections of the Victoria and Albert Museum and the Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Paris. She often explores industrial techniques reputed in factories serving Knoll, Thonet, and Stoolworks-type producers while referencing pedagogies from Bauhaus and approaches seen in exhibitions at the Museum of Modern Art.
Sempé’s projects have been recognized by juries of major design awards including distinctions comparable to prizes awarded at the Compasso d'Oro ceremonies, accolades from institutions like Maison & Objet and honors granted by national cultural bodies such as Institut français. Her work has been shortlisted for prizes administered by juries connected to the Red Dot Design Award and has been noted in publications affiliated with the editorial programs of Elle Decor, Wallpaper*, and Designboom.
Her works have been shown at museums and fairs including the Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Paris, the Design Museum, London, the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum, and events like the Milan Furniture Fair and the Venice Biennale of Architecture. Public collections holding pieces reflect relationships with institutions such as the Centre Pompidou and the Victoria and Albert Museum, and commercial exhibitions at venues tied to Galerie kreo and galleries in Tokyo and Stockholm.
Sempé has participated in workshops and lectures at schools and programs connected to École nationale supérieure de création industrielle, Royal College of Art, Design Academy Eindhoven, and residency programs linked to the Cité Internationale des Arts. She has mentored emerging designers through initiatives associated with SaloneSatellite, partnership programs involving Maison & Objet and incubators run by cultural agencies such as Institut français.
Category:French industrial designers Category:1968 births Category:Living people