Marmalade Issue 5, 2017

Top: Lex Stobie, Omega Tall Boy. Photographer: Jonathan van der Knaap.
Far right: Daniel Emma, Soft Chair. Photographer: Daniel To.
It’s a timeless vernacular boasting crisp lines, confident
curves and a pared-back yet sophisticated material palette,
which eschews trendy gimmicks for a conceptual robustness
informed by what’s gone before, as well as an awareness of
its contemporaries. This is as evident in the work of the latest
JamFactory Associates as it is in Liew’s Indigo Slam pieces,
so it’s an expression borne of having something else in
common other than the same schooling. More than likely
it has something to do with being embedded in a city that
has a rich manufacturing history, where designers like Cooper
have worked closely with industry to produce meticulously
finished works. Or, like Fuller, they fall into the designermaker
category, highlighting the breadth of local
artisanal craftsmanship.
The idea of ‘Adelaide as an incubator of skilled craftspeople’
further strengthens its profile as a dynamic creative hub. ‘A
healthy amount of isolation has allowed local practitioners to
evolve a uniquely recognisable character,’ says Lex Stobie,
the New Zealand born designer-maker, who shares his innerwest
Adelaide studio with five other artisans. ‘In the past, our
location and inability to access resources and services meant
we might not have been as quick off the mark. But we’ve
created our own solutions to address what was previously
viewed as a disadvantage.’
Stobie’s own portfolio, including the stylish Omega Boy,
2015 storage unit is an outstanding study of high-end timber
furniture, with each handcrafted piece more work of art than
product. His approach is decidedly hands-on and he values
‘slow design’, taking his time to research and develop ideas
and realising each concept as a maquette before crafting
the real thing.
14 / ISSUE 05