Big-E Armchair by Ron Arad for Moroso, Italy, 2000s

Ron Arad was born in Israel in 1951. Following his studies at Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design in Jerusalem, he moved to London in 1973 to study at the Architectural Association. He started his first company in 1981 and set up Ron Arad Associates in 1989 in Chalk Farm, north London.

Today, Arad and his team rigorously explore one material and technique after another; from ready-mades and welded heavy metal to extruded plastic and rapid-prototyping. In addition to architectural and industrial commissions, the studio creates limited-edition furniture designs in a range of innovative processes, such as selective laser sintering and stereo-lithography, as well as metalwork produced in partnership with an Italian fabricator.

Alongside these exercises in uniqueness, Arad collaborates with a variety of international brands to develop products for mass production, such as the Bookworm Bookshelf for Kartell and the Tom Vac Chair for Vitra.

Udine, Italy-based Moroso was founded as a small-scale, artisanal upholstery company in 1952 by Agostino Moroso, who served as director until the 1990s. At that time, Agostino’s children, Roberto and Patrizia Moroso took over and began to transform the traditional, regionally-focused family business into the innovative, internationally renowned furniture manufacturer it is today. In the role of Creative Director, Patrizia Moroso in particular has not only reinvented her company’s mission but also has had a lasting influence on 21^st-century design discourse through her frequent, high profile collaborations with some of the world’s most talented designers. In 1988, while still working under her father, she invited Israeli-British designer Ron Arad to produce his now-iconic Big Easy Chair, which helped to launch his career and set Moroso on a path to become one of the biggest players in contemporary design.

Moroso defines its approach to design as a laboratory for experimentation that underscores the value of communication, differentiation, and diversity. The values embraced by the brand are visible in the daringness of their lines of sofas, chairs, tables, accessories, and more. Highlights from the Moroso collection include Australian designer Marc Newson’s Gluon series (1993), Spanish artist Javier Mariscal’s Los Muebles Amorosos series (1995), British designer Tom Dixon’s Serpentine Sofas (2003), British designer Ross Lovegrove’s Supernatural Chairs, Japanese designer Tokujin Yoshioka’s Bouquet Chairs (2008), Japanese studio Nendo’s Kub Tables (2009), as well more recent additions, such as Arad’s unconventional Glider Sofa (2015) and architect David Adjaye’s Art Deco-influenced Double Zero Chair (2015).  Moroso’s ongoing relationship with Spanish architect-designer Patricia Urquiola has generated a number of highly successful pieces, like the Fjord (2002), Bloomy (2004), Antibodi (2006), Tropicalia (2008), and Fishbone (2012) series. In recent years, Moroso has contributed to a global awareness of African design and craft through the M’Afrique project and collection launched in 2009 in collaboration with Urquiola, Dutch designer Tord Boontje, and other design greats.

In addition to its domestic furniture and accessories output, over the years, the brand has expanded into the hospitality, education, healthcare, and corporate sectors. Drawing on the worlds of industrial design, contemporary art, and fashion, Moroso has also created temporary installations for Venice Biennale (2013), Art Basel Miami Beach (2010), and Palais de Tokyo (2006).