Bad Tempered Chair by Ron Arad for Vitra, 2000s

Details

Description

Ron Arad, born in Tel Aviv in 1951, studied at the Bezalel Academy in Jerusalem and the Architectural Association in … Read more Ron Arad, born in Tel Aviv in 1951, studied at the Bezalel Academy in Jerusalem and the Architectural Association in London. He made his name with sculptural, hand welded steel furniture before designing for serial production, and taught industrial and furniture design at the Royal College of Art from 1997 to 2009.

The Bad Tempered Chair is a technically advanced successor to his Well Tempered Chair of 1986. Instead of tempered steel sheets, Arad used die cut segments of extremely resilient carbon and Kevlar laminate, rolled into seat, back and two generous looping armrests and joined with visible wing nuts, just like its predecessor. The result is light yet springy, with the woven carbon pattern catching the light across its glossy curves.

Vitra announced an edition of 1000, but fewer than 200 were produced between 2002 and 2009, making it a sought after collector's piece and a key work of experimental design of the early 2000s.

This example carries the label signed by Ron Arad and numbered 16/1000.

Provenance: Vitra special auction 2026

Materials: Carbon and Kevlar composite laminate, wing nuts


Condition: Good. Signs of use consistent with age, as per images. Some scratches on the seating area. This piece has an attribution mark,
I am sure that it is completely authentic and take full responsibility for any authenticity
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