Australia’s most innovative furniture designers will showcase their latest designs at The Edge, as part of the Australian International Furniture Fair to be held February 4-6, 2005 at the Sydney Exhibition Centre.
Promoting up-and-coming Australian design talent to the world, the inaugural The Edge exhibition was a success in 2004 with more than 6000 national and international visitors viewing the new designs on show.
Divided into student, concept, and commercial categories, The Edge will feature more than 50 of the very best new designs from across the country, including the sophisticated ‘Lily’ barstool by Anita Hatter. The sinuous curves of the ‘Lily’ is inspired by Australia’s indigenous orchid, the Chocolate Lily, and this design contributed to Anita winning the coveted 2004 John Moran Scholarship for furniture design.
Also on view will be Gary Galego’s ‘Shell’ chair, which exploits the use of plantation grown hoop pine plywood, a material proven to generate efficiency in both the structure and manufacture of chairs. Leather is vacuum moulded to the surface of the chair in a technique developed by Galego, who has steadily been making a name for himself on the world stage for his ingenious designs.
Created from moulded timber and industrial felt with a painted finish and a unique hinging system, Jacqui Doyle’s ‘Flip’ modular system is a truly versatile yet chic product that promises to have wide appeal.
Continuing the 60’s multifunctional modular theme is Michael Hill’s ‘Elroy’ entertainment unit made from ecocore and Walnut veneer. Hill endeavours to create works that consider the unique Australian lifestyle and the changing personal and global environment in which we all live. The ‘Elroy’ features a floating top and curves and is created by an innovative process of skinning a structural frame with a composite material.
Designs guaranteed to bring a smile to your face include D3 Designs’ ‘Vase Deferens’ – a single flower vase that gives the flower the freedom to move and sway. The brainchild of Clive Solari and David Francis, ‘Vase Deferens’ is a simple, functional, and witty creation that allows a single cut flower to thrive in only 35ml of water. Gidget McNevin’s designs fuse modern contemporary lines with exotic materials. Her ‘Split Vine’ pedestal uses split native Queensland vines to create a piece that puts the fun into functional while maintaining a seriously stylish silhouette.
Matthew Conway’s ‘Tallguy’ is an impressively bold, freestanding light that adds a sense of theatre, joy, and colour to everyday life. Conway chose to use fiberglass for its ability to diffuse light in a warm, soft, and intriguing manner and, indeed, ‘Tallguy’ glows like a warm fire.
Nick Visser’s highly original and experimental work pushes the boundaries of furniture as we know it. His ‘Tomatoe’ stools are designed to provide ergonomic seating that corrects the spinal position while enhancing circulation and are constructed from stainless steel and natural materials.
