François Arnal (1924–2012) was a French artist and designer whose career spanned multiple disciplines, earning him recognition both in contemporary painting and innovative furniture design. Born into a family of winemakers, he discovered painting during World War II through his encounter with the Dutch painter Conrad Kickert in the Auvergne resistance, who introduced him to the fundamentals of painting. After the war, Arnal settled in Paris and became involved in the informal art and lyrical abstraction movements, developing a personal artistic language characterized by gesture, spontaneity, and experimentation. His series such as Bombardements, in which he used spray paint to trace abstract shapes inspired by real objects, and Éléments pour une dynamique blanche, exploring light and texture on canvas, reflect his constant search for formal freedom and creative renewal.

At the same time, Arnal turned to design and in 1968 founded Atelier A, a pioneering workshop where he created objects and furniture that combined aesthetic quality with practical functionality. He designed tables, chairs, lighting, and other everyday objects, treating them as works of art in their own right and aiming to bring creativity into daily life. His approach to design mirrored the inventiveness of his painting, emphasizing original lines, sculptural forms, proportional play, and material experimentation. Arnal’s work did more than decorate space—it transformed it, integrating art into everyday use. By bridging abstraction, functionality, and aesthetic innovation, his painting and design together established him as a central figure in 20th-century French contemporary art and design.