For the past month, the art museum at my university has been host to an exhibition of extraordinary beauty, fascinating experimentation, and craft technique of a skill that I thought was no longer found in the contemporary world. It was … Continue reading
Re Rag Rug is an experimental design and crafts project by two very talented Swedes, Katarina Brieditis and Katarina Evans. With backgrounds in textile design, product development and needlework, the duo were brought together through a shared interest in knitting, embroidery and … Continue reading
While there were a number of important furniture brands in Australia offering modernist designs during the 50s, 60s and 70s such as Danish Deluxe and Fler in Melbourne and TH Brown in Adelaide, Sydney’s Parker remains the most well known. … Continue reading
In 2013, Sydney Design, one of the world’s oldest running design festivals, decided to become more inclusive. As one of the few design festivals produced by a Museum, the festival is all about engaging audiences around design. What better way … Continue reading
Roseanne Bartley is a jewellery designer with a distinctive sense of civic responsibly – not as a recent development in her practice but something I have observed throughout her career. She is a designer that sees jewellery making as a … Continue reading
Forms in Succession #5, porcelain sculpture created by Japanese potter Shigekazu Nagae dances beautifully in this video. The paper ‘look-alike’ form evokes the aesthetics of origami – the art of Japanese paper-folding. Made by using a slip-cast technique the material speaks … Continue reading
Just released by the Australia Council for the Arts is Art Facts, the new home for statistics about Australian arts. Here you will find a range of facts about visual arts and craft in Australia and the latest trends to watch out … Continue reading
The past few years have seen a resurgence in design as a driver of innovation. This has been visible in the popular managerial press and also the scholarly debate in management and design. Many foreign organisations and governments have already … Continue reading
With the latest instalment of the Broached Commissions project, entitled Broached East, half way through it’s stint in Melbourne, David Harrison spoke with Lou Weis founder and creative director of the project before he jetted off to Dubai to set … Continue reading
With many designers lamenting the dwindling manufacturing landscape in Australia, David Harrison speaks with designers Gary Galego, Adam Cornish and Adam Goodrum about how they are working within these shrinking parameters. On the other side of the Tasman, Scott Bridgens, … Continue reading
Over the summer, Sydney had an unusual visitor to Darling Harbour: a big yellow duck, as cute as it was large, created by Dutch artist Florentijn Hofman. Hofman visited the Museum on Sunday 6 January to speak about his work. … Continue reading
Is Tasmania at a tipping point? Over the next two weeks The Conversation, in conjunction with Griffith REVIEW and the University of Tasmania, is publishing a series of provocations. Our authors ask where does Tasmania’s future lie? Has it reached … Continue reading
Tamara Maynes has had a productive year, taking her Quilt Light to Milan Design Week and London Design Festival 2012 as part of the Supercyclers collective exhibition. I thought it an opportune time to catch-up with Tamara and find out … Continue reading
Like everyone over the past week we have also taken stock of the last twelve months. There are always some ups and downs but somehow we got through and all our design friends have helped make this a great year. … Continue reading
Sounding in another year of design focused events for 2013, the Powerhouse Museum presents internationally acclaimed Dutch visual artist Florentijn Hofman on 6 January. Hofman is creator of a wide range of mammoth sculptures based on everyday life and you … Continue reading
It’s almost the end of the year, a time when we take stock of the past and forecast what we may do in the new year. The holiday break may just be the down-time we need to start thinking of 2013, … Continue reading
Down a Newtown side-lane in an old industrial complex sits jewellery studio SquarePeg. For all it achieves this small outfit has a big heart and lots of energy. On a recent visit, the founder of SquarePeg Studios, Brenda Factor, took … Continue reading
Assistant curator Deborah Turnbull gives us the low down on the Powerhouse Museum’s inaugrual ‘What’s in the Box’ talk series. Continue reading
London-based Monocle magazine shares news about international affairs, business, culture and design and this month published their third global soft power survey – an index of how different nations are using their cultural influence. Drawing on US academic Joseph Nye’s notion of applying power by persuasion and attraction … Continue reading
Australians spend about $50 billion on presents each year and around $700 million of that ends up as landfill. This year, make your own using recycled or sustainable materials instead. Here are some ideas: 1. How to wrap with cloth … Continue reading
Chances are you’ve heard about 3D printing – or additive manufacturing as it’s otherwise known: a process that turns computer-aided designs into three-dimensional, real-world objects with a range of uses, from a range of materials and on a range of … Continue reading
Opened in London on 5 December 2012 and curated by Susan Cohn for the Design Museum, Unexpected Pleasures showcases more than 200 pieces of contemporary jewellery by artists who have challenged conceptual and material ideas about jewellery and design. The … Continue reading
Looking behind some of the products on show at the London Design Festival, Karen McCartney found that the notions of revisiting, rethinking and re-engineering were a dominant force. Rethink: the book Last week saw the launch of Amanda Talbot’s inspirational … Continue reading
COFA Annual 2012 showcased the works of the next generation of fine artists, media artists and designers. More than 300 COFA graduating students displayed their works in many disciplines: animation, ceramics, drawing, digital imaging, environments, graphics, installation, interactive media, jewellery, motion … Continue reading
The Australian Law Reform Commission is conducting an inquiry into copyright law and the digital economy in 2012 and 2013.The President, Rosalind Croucher, stated: “While the Copyright Act has been amended on occasion over the past 12 years to account … Continue reading
The recent ‘Through Indian Eyes’ hypothetical forum at the Powerhouse Museum revealed some surprising common ground between traditional craft in India and modern life in Australia. An Indian comes to Australia to revive a craft skill that had been outmoded … Continue reading
Today DHub continues with Lily Katakouzinos’ travel diary about Helsinki’s Design Week 2012 where she experienced a range of design options, innovations, new trends and design classics. At the Museum of Contemporary Art Kiasma this life-size crocheted police car by Finnish aritst … Continue reading
Speaking at a roundtable discussion with design festival organisers from around the world, Chairman of the London Design Festival, Sir John Sorrell, said that major changes in the way humans live have been affected by our journey from an agricultural … Continue reading
Amy Wong is one of a number of terrarium makers who have been placing Melbourne at the forefront of terrarium design. Amy is due in Sydney for a series of terrarium workshops in early December – part of the Craft … Continue reading
One Third proves designers have a role to play in reinventing Australia’s manufacturing industry Since 1996, Designs in Timber has produced quality furniture from its warehouse in Tasmania. Yet over the past four years the company has contracted from 12 … Continue reading
In their ongoing work to assist artists and the creative industries in finding space, the City of Sydney today announced that it has become the first licensee of the Creative Spaces. This unique portal is designed to help artists and … Continue reading
When it came time to launch their new colour range of Dino Stripe textiles – designed in collaboration with Dinosaur Designs – Woven Image invited artist Liesl Hazleton, to let her imagination go. Known for her work with objects sourced … Continue reading
Continuing on with a Scandinavian theme we are excited to announce Marimekko’s strong investments in internationalisation continues with the opening of the first company-owned stores in Australia. Marimekko products have been sold in Australia since the 1960s, but now the … Continue reading
Recently I had the pleasure of visiting Helsinki during Helsinki Design Week . The city is also host to the 2012 World Design Capital so there was plenty to see and do. My visit was hosted by the Helsinki Design Week … Continue reading
Renowned Australian fashion designer Michelle Jank collaborated with embroidery artisan Ashok Ladiwal to create a one off gown to celebrate the talents of Indian artisans and to raise funds for children of India. “On arrival in the midst of Holi … Continue reading
Six of Australia’s most prominent Indigenous arts workers set sail for London last week, following a moving farewell event, held at the Australia Council for the Arts. Preceding a musical performance by Gina Williams, this year’s awardees of the British … Continue reading
UTS Business School is taking the initiative to become the home for the most creative, innovative, responsible and integrative thinking minds in business through a collision of progressive curriculum and the architecture of world-renowned architect Frank Gehry. The revamped Business School, to be housed … Continue reading
Those of you who subscribe to design festivals around the world will know that September was a cracker for design! With Helsinki Design Week from 6 – 16 September and the London Design Festival quickly following from 14 – 23 … Continue reading
The popular image of the artist starving in his or her garret was established in Paris in 1851, with the publication of Henri Murger’s semi-autobiographical novel,Scènes de la Vie de Bohème, which Puccini would later adapt into his 1896 opera La … Continue reading
‘Through Indian Eyes’ is an opportunity for us to consider our collective responsibility to preserve cultural diversity. As a hypothetical, it’s a playful forum for looking at a wide range of perspectives on cultural preservation, including the odd devil’s advocate. … Continue reading
