Marmalade Issue 5, 2017

2017 Australian
Furniture Design Award
JamFactory and Stylecraft presented the second biennial
Australian Furniture Design Award (AFDA) in July 2017.
The $20,000 prize was won by Alice Springs-based
designer Elliat Rich.
Elliat Rich completed a Bachelor of Design with first class
honours at the College of Fine Arts, University of New South
Wales in Sydney in 2006. She works across a broad range
of design projects for a diverse client base including
cross-cultural resources, exhibition design and public art.
Her portfolio includes furniture and product development for
one-off exhibition or limited run. In 2014 Elliat and her partner
James Young launched Elbowrkshp, a studio, retail space and
workshop they share with other creative professionals.
Elliat was chosen from the six finalists including Adam
Markowitz, Damien Wright and Bonhula Yunupingu,
Mitchell Eaton, Trent Jansen and James Howe, who were
shortlisted from over 100 entrants. The finalists were flown
to Adelaide to present their prototypes to the judging panel
consisting of Jon Goulder, Creative Director of Furniture
Studio, JamFactory; Tony Russell, Brand Director, Stylecraft;
Rebecca Evans, Curator of Decorative Arts, Art Gallery of
South Australia; Stephen Todd, Design Editor, Australian
Financial Review Magazine and Susan Standring, Practice
Director, Carr Design Group. Through the intensive process
the judges were specifically looking for originality, innovation
and evidence of the designer’s professional capability.
Elliat’s winning work titled Place, could be described as a
sculptural vanity – a kind of old-fashioned object evoking
feminine ritual. The unit, which was fabricated for her by
Oscar Prieckaerts in Sydney has a neatly concealed draw
constructed from stacked and coloured dowel, a removable
storage container and a velvet-covered pivoting mirror - all
of which perch atop fine timber legs. The colours, textures
and sense of foreground, middle ground and background
in the piece have all been informed by her many journeys
driving across the Central Australian landscape.
As the winner of this important biennial award, Elliat
receives $20,000 in cash and the opportunity to undertake
a residency in JamFactory’s Furniture Studio to develop
new work to a specific breif for commercial production and
distribution through Stylecraft showrooms across Australia
and Singapore. Rich will receive royalty income from the
work developed for as long as it remains in production.
In addition, Rich’s winning prototype Place, will be
acquired by the Art Gallery of South Australia for its
permanent collection.
www.afda.com.au
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