Marmalade Issue 5, 2017
You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles
YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.
<strong>2017</strong> Australian<br />
Furniture Design Award<br />
JamFactory and Stylecraft presented the second biennial<br />
Australian Furniture Design Award (AFDA) in July <strong>2017</strong>.<br />
The $20,000 prize was won by Alice Springs-based<br />
designer Elliat Rich.<br />
Elliat Rich completed a Bachelor of Design with first class<br />
honours at the College of Fine Arts, University of New South<br />
Wales in Sydney in 2006. She works across a broad range<br />
of design projects for a diverse client base including<br />
cross-cultural resources, exhibition design and public art.<br />
Her portfolio includes furniture and product development for<br />
one-off exhibition or limited run. In 2014 Elliat and her partner<br />
James Young launched Elbowrkshp, a studio, retail space and<br />
workshop they share with other creative professionals.<br />
Elliat was chosen from the six finalists including Adam<br />
Markowitz, Damien Wright and Bonhula Yunupingu,<br />
Mitchell Eaton, Trent Jansen and James Howe, who were<br />
shortlisted from over 100 entrants. The finalists were flown<br />
to Adelaide to present their prototypes to the judging panel<br />
consisting of Jon Goulder, Creative Director of Furniture<br />
Studio, JamFactory; Tony Russell, Brand Director, Stylecraft;<br />
Rebecca Evans, Curator of Decorative Arts, Art Gallery of<br />
South Australia; Stephen Todd, Design Editor, Australian<br />
Financial Review Magazine and Susan Standring, Practice<br />
Director, Carr Design Group. Through the intensive process<br />
the judges were specifically looking for originality, innovation<br />
and evidence of the designer’s professional capability.<br />
Elliat’s winning work titled Place, could be described as a<br />
sculptural vanity – a kind of old-fashioned object evoking<br />
feminine ritual. The unit, which was fabricated for her by<br />
Oscar Prieckaerts in Sydney has a neatly concealed draw<br />
constructed from stacked and coloured dowel, a removable<br />
storage container and a velvet-covered pivoting mirror - all<br />
of which perch atop fine timber legs. The colours, textures<br />
and sense of foreground, middle ground and background<br />
in the piece have all been informed by her many journeys<br />
driving across the Central Australian landscape.<br />
As the winner of this important biennial award, Elliat<br />
receives $20,000 in cash and the opportunity to undertake<br />
a residency in JamFactory’s Furniture Studio to develop<br />
new work to a specific breif for commercial production and<br />
distribution through Stylecraft showrooms across Australia<br />
and Singapore. Rich will receive royalty income from the<br />
work developed for as long as it remains in production.<br />
In addition, Rich’s winning prototype Place, will be<br />
acquired by the Art Gallery of South Australia for its<br />
permanent collection.<br />
www.afda.com.au<br />
18 / ISSUE 05