Jasper Morrison

AD 23 was an exhibition to celebrate 23 years of Aram Designs. It was held in Aram’s new showroom on Kean Street in Covent Garden. The exhibition included Ron Arad, Norman Foster and Eduardo Paolozzi. Zeev Aram set the brief that the objects the participants chose to show must be capable of reproduction. Jasper showed a new iteration of the Thinking Man’s Chair, alongside the Ribbed Table and the Coat Stand. When sales followed from the exhibition, Aram became the supplier of the three pieces. This catalogue accompanied the exhibition.

Zeev Aram sent some pictures of the exhibition to Mario Bellini, the editor-in-chief of Domus, telling Bellini that he must meet Jasper. Domus reviewed the exhibition in its July/August 1987 issue, using a sketch and a photograph of the Thinking Man’s Chair among its illustrations. In February 1988 Manolo De Giorgi went to London to interview Jasper for Domus. The subsequent article in the May issue caught the eye of the international design scene and proved to be a turning point in Jasper’s career.

Giulio Cappellini first saw the Thinking Man’s Chair at AD 23. He later told Axis: ‘I instantly knew I could work with him and could develop ideas and products.’ The following year he proposed to Jasper that his furniture company produce the chair. Jasper accepted. Cappellini launched it in a slightly modified form at the Milan Fair in September 1988.