Built Character: A Shared Exploration of Furniture, Objects and Illustration
Presented by Ka Ra Studio & Samantha Curcio
DETAILS
Free, no booking required
Mezzanine, North Magdalen Laundry
Abbotsford Convent, 1 Saint Heliers Street, Abbotsford VIC, Australia
DATES
Thu 14 May 11am – 6pm
Fri 15 May 11am – 6pm
Sat 16 May 11am – 9pm
Opening / Closing celebration from 6pm
Illustrator Samantha Curcio and furniture designer Katrina Ramm (Ka Ra Studio) come together in a collaborative exploration of the space between art and design. The exhibition presents new work that brings Curcio’s expressive digital illustrations into dialogue with Ramm’s character-filled timber forms, resulting in pieces that are both sculptural and functional.
Participants
Katrina Ramm
Katrina Ramm is a Melbourne/Naarm-based furniture designer and founder of Ka Ra Studio. With a background in interior design and formal training in furniture design from RMIT, Katrina creates furniture and sculptural objects that sit between function, form and storytelling.Her work explores simple geometric forms drawn from everyday objects, reimagining the familiar through warmth, playfulness and a subtle sense of nostalgia. Working primarily with timber, Katrina prioritises responsible material selection and small-scale, thoughtful production.In 2024, Katrina presented her first solo exhibition Kindred Forms, launching Ka Ra Studio’s sculptural range of robot-inspired side tables. Her work has also been shown in group exhibitions including Take A Seat at the Powerhouse Museum, 100 Lights by Friends & Associates, Origin to Object by CERES Fair Wood, A Part of the Furniture: The Psyche of the Stationary (Sydney), and multiple Fringe Furniture exhibitions. Katrina’s work has been featured in The Design Files, Frankie Magazine and Union Magazine.
Samantha Curcio
Samantha Curcio is an award-winning Melbourne/Naarm-based illustrator, designer and small business owner. With an honours degree in communication design and over eighteen years’ industry experience, she creates characters, products and designs that are colourful, fun and confident.Her children’s book Hello Every Body!, published by Hardie Grant Kids in 2022, was listed as a 2023 CBCA Book of the Year Notable and has also been published in Spanish and Korean.Her Moody Mates wall hook collaboration with local studio Double Date has been featured in Broadsheet and Domain Review. Her work has also been featured by Procreate, The Design Kids, Frankie Magazine and Elle China.Samantha’s illustrative-led products are stocked by a range of retailers locally and internationally, including ACMI, Readings, Pinky’s Store, Goldies, Peach Boy (Canada) and HeyThere Projects (USA).