Inga Sempé
Sempé is a French designer celebrated for her poetic lightness, technical intelligence and quietly expressive forms. Based in Paris, she works across furniture, lighting, textiles and objects, creating designs that feel intuitive, refined and gently playful.
The daughter of the illustrator Jean-Jacques Sempé, she grew up in a creative environment where drawing, storytelling and observation were central. She studied at ENSCI – Les Ateliers in Paris and later completed a residency at Villa Medici in Rome, where she deepened her material research and developed her thoughtful, context-sensitive approach to design.
Sempé’s work is characterized by a clarity of construction and delicacy of line. She often explores slender structures, careful proportions and intelligent technical solutions, achieving a sense of lightness without fragility. Her designs feel accessible and human – objects meant to live naturally within everyday environments.
This sensibility is evident in her Tripot stool series. Built around a simple three-legged structure, Tripot highlights balance and economy of form. The stool’s identity lies in its refined proportions and subtle detailing, where structure itself becomes decoration. Like much of Sempé’s work, Tripot demonstrates how minimal means can create strong character – practical, versatile and quietly elegant.
Over the years, she has collaborated with leading international brands and received numerous awards, including the Grand Prix de la Création de la Ville de Paris, and her work is exhibited internationally.
Today, Inga Sempé is recognized as one of the most distinctive voices in contemporary European design – bringing warmth, intelligence and a sense of understated optimism to modern objects.
Tripot Stool, designed by Inga Sempé for Fogia.
Tripot around the bar at Tjoget, Stockholm.