Ron Arad is reputedly quick to feel unchallenged. A German manufacturer of household goods once tried to secure his services for the design of an eggcup. ‘How much?’ Arad asked. The manufacturer offered 5000 British pounds. Arad made some quick calculations and figured that it was worth seven minutes of his time. ‘I agreed on the condition that it would not take any longer than that.’ Nevertheless, it was still time enough for him to create an acrylic cube, with six conical holes of varying diameter cut into the sides, to hold eggs of different sizes. It’s not easy to arouse his enthusiasm.

Arad is a creator of exceptional volumetric shapes: his designs of both furniture and architecture are distinguished by their soft curves and bold arcs. Right angles are sought in vain.

Yet he is a person with sharp corners and rough edges: brilliant, demanding, creative and ‘complicated’, according to Arad himself. During his early career, the Israeli designer made experimental objects out of metal, industrial glass and concrete – he loves working with a welding torch to create sculptural one-offs. In more recent years he has also worked with wood and textiles, and is currently exploring rapid-prototyping and innovative technologies to shape things out of aluminium, carbon fibre and plastics.

He enjoys taking risks, experimenting and playfully using materials for unintended purposes; he resists established conventions and complacency.

Arad has always been fascinated by innovation. ‘Post All & Neo-Nothing’ is how he describes his own style – while placing special emphasis on the unique character of his objects. ‘It has to be new. Really new. Never seen before. I don’t want to make my own version of something that already exists’, says Arad – it’s all about the innovative aspect of an object.

His voluminous seating objects consist of air and naked sheet steel – and they are disconcerting: can you sit on them? They flex, sway, wobble. His furniture objects have a surreal appearance, as they are often voluminous but hollow and astonishingly lightweight – a ‘tongue-in-cheek illusion’. Almost works of art, they are acquired by collectors and museums at high prices.

The Israeli-born designer loves ambiguity and wordplay but without succumbing to trendy gags. This is also reflected in the names of his products. Even up to the present day, he resists classification.