Speakers

A Melbourne-based multi-disciplinary designer, I passionately delve into materials and hands-on practices. Balancing workshop immersion with a love for design and visual communication, I curate graphics across various mediums. My design philosophy is "to create objects and experience that make this horrendous world worth living in".

Biophilic Lamp

Crafted from sheets of brass and bullseye glass, the lamp embodies a fusion of inspiration and craftsmanship. Drawing from colours of the iconic Banker's Lamp by Harrison D. McFaddin, I envisioned a biophilic homage, capturing the elegance of a Bird of Paradise plant's leaf. Each sweeping curve and delicate contour mirrors nature's grace, grounded in the earthiness of metalwork.

Everything was done in–house by myself, under the guidance of Ron Ellazam. Embracing traditional techniques, I shaped the metal using hammers and mallets varying in shapes and sizes to capture the beauty and texture of the dents. The process of creating jigs, pattern-making, and English-wheel forming were guided by the timeless artistry of handcrafted trumpets and bespoke Jaguar car fenders. Similarly, the glass underwent a transformative journey, molded through age-old processes of fusing, texturing and slumping over plaster–silica moulds; these processes were akin to manipulating fabric, as they involved pattern making and draping forms over molds. While slumping the glass, bubbles occurred, causing holes within the leaf. I embraced these, changed course, and worked around them to create a natural beauty, in harmony with biophilia—iconic and distinct.

In the fusion of metal and glass, a symbiosis unfolds, each element elevating the other's charm. This lamp is a tribute to engaging in a conversation with nature's complexity and the crafting process—a simple homage.