Israeli born Ron Arad (b. 1951) stands out as one of the most influential designers of our time and became famous for his groundbreaking experimentation with material and form, creating a vast and versatile body of work over the past few decades. Originally educated at the Jerusalem Academy of Art and later at the Architectural Association in London, Arad co-founded the design and production studio One Off with Caroline Thorman in 1981; and solely the architecture and design practice Ron Arad Associates in 1989. The latter was followed by the Ron Arad Studio (1994-1999) and Ron Arad Architects (2008). Arad’s constant experimentation with the possibilities of materials such as steel, aluminium, ceramic and polyamide, and his radical reconception of form and structure, has led to an almost unlimited series of objects, carbon fibre armchairs, polyurethane bottle racks and outstandingly innovative interior designs and architecture. His ability to combine state-of-the-art computer technology and digital design processes with contemporary manufacturing and the traditional soldering apparatus of his metal workshops is unprecedented. Form and function fuse into futuristic ethereal aesthetics that are as original as they are beautiful and surprising.
Arad has had numerous exhibitions internationally, including Nouvelle Tendences, Centre Georges Pompidou, 1987; Ron Arad: No Discipline, MoMA, New York and Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris, both 2009; Ron Arad: Restless, Barbican, London, 2010; New Work by Ron Arad, Gallery Mourmans, Lanaken, 2010; and In Reverse Lingotto, Turin, 2013; to name but a few. Alongside his limited edition studio work, Arad designs for many leading international companies including Kartell, Vitra, Moroso, Fiam, Driade, Alessi, Cappellini, Cassina, WMF and Magis, among many others. He designed a number of Public Art pieces, most recently the Vortext in Seoul, Korea; and the Kesher Sculpture at Tel Aviv University. Arad was Professor of Design Product at the Royal College of Art in London up until 2009 and awarded the 2011 London Design Week Medal for design excellence. He became a Royal Academician of the Royal Academy of Arts in 2013.
Ron Arad lives and works in London.
