The unmistakable curves of the Big Easy armchair take centre stage at Opera Gallery Monaco this week, as Ron Arad arrives in the Principality for his first solo exhibition. Presented as part of Monaco Art Week, Ron Arad, from 1992 to 2026 brings together more than three decades of work, from early experimental pieces to recent sculptural designs. While in Monaco, Arad has met collectors, spoken publicly, and offered a rare, personal insight into the ideas behind some of his most recognisable creations.

“I haven’t seen this piece in a long time,” Arad says, lowering himself into one of his original welded metal Big Easy chairs on display. “And this is part of my design — it still has to pass the sitting test.”

The statement is both practical and philosophical, encapsulating a career defined by the tension between form and function.

First created in the 1980s, the Big Easy remains his most iconic work. “I learned to weld on this piece,” he recalls. “And then you think — why should it be perfect? Nothing is perfect.” Yet perfection, or at least its illusion, continues to intrigue him.

He scrolls through images on his iPad, pausing on a flawless version of the same chair. “I actually made this as a joke, a satirical piece — an overstuffed armchair.”

A design that refuses to disappear

Two versions of the Big Easy stand in the gallery window, a reminder of how the design continues to evolve. “Every time I have an idea of using a different material, a different technology — the Big Easy jumps out and says, ‘Use me,’” he says. The name itself, he explains, comes from New Orleans, inspiring an entire series of works. “They are not painting chairs — it is about making it off the paint.”

One of the more striking variations currently on show — polished metallic forms — originated under unusual circumstances. Arad recounts how Sotheby’s invited him to create a piece for its Beyond Limits exhibition in England. Faced with an impossible production timeline, he delivered a rendered image instead. “I said, look, I can’t meet the deadline for the piece, but I can meet the deadline for the photography,” he explains. The final work arrived a year later. “So I wasn’t late a day, or a week… I was late by one year. But this is it — eventually.”

Function first, always

Despite their sculptural presence, Arad is unequivocal about the purpose of his work. “All of my pieces of furniture are practical. If I design a chair, it is designed to be sat on,” he says. Even his earliest works demand interaction. “You keep going until it is comfortable.”

Production methods may have evolved — “I used to make the pieces myself, but not anymore” — but the principle remains unchanged. Across the exhibition, this philosophy is evident in works such as This Mortal Coil (1992), a flowing spiral bookshelf, and Linguine (2020), a stainless steel piece that blurs the line between sculpture and furniture.

Art, ownership and interpretation

Arad’s designs have not always remained under his control. Recalling a widely circulated image of Michael Jacksonseated in the Big Easy, he is characteristically direct: “They didn’t ask for permission… so we sued.”

Yet his approach to authorship is not without humour. On a carved wooden chair shown during the interview, he points to an inscription: “Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful.” He pauses, then adds with a smile, “That’s William Morris. I added ‘or love,’ because I don’t like being told what to do.”

A first for Monaco

This marks the first time Arad has accompanied his work to Monaco in person, adding a new dimension to an exhibition that already spans more than 30 years of design innovation. As visitors move through the gallery, the consistency of his vision becomes clear: objects that challenge expectations, yet insist on being used.

“Everything is for sale,” he confirms, almost as an aside — a reminder that even the most conceptual pieces remain, at their core, part of everyday life.

Ron Arad, from 1992 to 2026 continues at Opera Gallery Monaco until 28th May.

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All photos by Cassandra Tanti