Ron Arad

(British, born 1951)

Ron Arad is a contemporary Israeli industrial designer, artist, and architect. One of the most influential designers of his generation, Arad is responsible for numerous innovations in the fields of rapid manufacturing and integrated technology. Born on April 24, 1951 in Tel Aviv, Israel, he studied at the Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design in Jerusalem and then moved to London to study architecture. His breakthrough came with his design of the Rover chair (1981), a Postmodernist furniture piece assembled from scrapyard metal and seats pulled from Rover model cars. Arad went on to produce objects for brands such as KENZO, Swarovski, and New Eye London, among others. The designer was the subject of a major retrospective at The Museum of Modern Art in New York in 2008, which notably highlighted his furniture capable of sending and displaying SMS messages. In 2013, he became a Royal Academician at the Royal Academy of Arts. He lives and works in London, England.