Shared Material Intelligence: Strengthening Melbourne’s Design Ecosystem
Presented by Ruth Allen & Nicole Lawrence Studio
DETAILS
Free, booking required
r.a.g.e. Hot Glass Studio
10 Hossack Avenue, Coburg North VIC, Australia
What happens when shared technique meets individual vision?
Glass artist Ruth Allen and furniture designer Nicole Lawrence present a live glassblowing demonstration and discussion, tracing the evolution of a sculptural wall sconce from design and production to final luminaire.
At r.a.g.e | Hot Glass Studio, molten glass will be blown directly into two separate moulds – one designed by Allen and one by Lawrence. Allen’s practice records the grain and fissures of fallen eucalypt bark, pressing molten glass into its surface to translate texture into form. In contrast, Lawrence employs a precisely engineered mould, using protrusions to articulate and direct light.
Inside the hot shop, Allen and Lawrence will unpack the structural, spatial and aesthetic negotiations required to transform these textural glass elements into functional design. The session will trace design ideation, prototyping and problem solving, revealing the invisible labour and decision making behind product design.
Rather than designing in isolation and outsourcing production, Allen and Lawrence model collective making: a practice grounded in shared material intelligence and mutual respect for discipline-honed expertise. Two distinct design languages will work in dialogue to arrive at a unique outcome.
For designers, architects and makers invested in craft-led practice, the event offers an opportunity to witness design intelligence unfolding in real time. Here, process is positioned as conscious and adaptive, strengthened when Australian makers remain embedded across the full arc of production.
This is a free event with limited capacity.
Participants
Ruth Allen
Ruth Allen is an acclaimed glass artist with a thirty-five-year career spanning sculpture, design and experimental practice. Her work explores elemental materials and phenomenological experience.Rooted in material curiosity, environmental advocacy and a commitment to cultural durability, her practice centres on producing work that is both conceptually rigorous and deeply sensorial.Alongside being shortlisted for major awards including the Tom Malone, INDE, Waterhouse and the Clarence Prizes, Ruth also provides artist fabrication services and collaborates with industry leaders across art, design and architecture, integrating contemporary craftsmanship across sectors.Ruth is the Director of r.a.g.e, an independent hot glass studio in Coburg North, Victoria. Alongside her team of five, she is establishing The Glass Epicentre – Victoria’s first independent, purpose-built community glassmaking facility. Committed to nurturing the next generation of glass artists and preserving this vital craft, r.a.g.e is paving the way forward by championing education, sustainability and innovation, and safeguarding the cultural legacy of glass art.
Nicole Lawrence
Nicole Lawrence is a Melbourne/Naarm-based designer and maker specialising in furniture and lighting. Balancing structural purpose with artistic freedom, Lawrence draws on her technical expertise from over a decade of working with a myriad of materials and her process-led methodology to create contemporary, collectible pieces.Lawrence’s studies in gold and silversmithing and Industrial Design have allowed for a broad understanding of production techniques – ranging from the ancient to the innovative. Through the meticulous manipulation of metals, she transforms rigidity into fluidity, shaping pieces that invite interaction and explore the balance between strength and delicacy.Since launching her eponymous studio in Melbourne in 2020, Lawrence has expanded her practice to include studio collections, exhibition works, creative collaborations and commissions.