Wood
Table as metaphor - Damien Wright presents six tables as material platforms for how we can do politics.
The fragrant power of Dutjahn - Angie Faye Martin finds a part Aboriginal-owned company that continues the ancient harvesting of sandalwood to produce much-coveted scented oils.
A spoon a day - Ana Sincu reflects on how making spoons helps her form a deep connection to the trees she loves.
Netsuke today - The traditional Japanese wood carving craft of netsuke continues to evolve.
James Tylor ✿ Kaurna tool kit - Our November Laurel goes to James Tylor for his re-creation of the Kaurna tool kit, reflecting the revival of cultural skills across the wider world.
Country sees you: A Bapang among Yolngu - Damien Wright gets a call from Galarrwuy Yunupingu to start a furniture workshop in the Top End, which teaches him what it means to be a Balanda (whitefella) working with Yolngu
The case for wood - Guy Keulemans advocates for the use of timber, particularly with new technologies that preserve the structural integrity of the wood.
Jon Goulder ✿ Furniture with a backstory - The latest Broached Commission is a profound furniture series by Jon Goulder, which expresses the evolution of craft over four generations. We delve into his collaboration with weaver Liz Williamson.
Why a Japanese lacquer master sought a surfing legend - Lacquer is a gift of the ancients that is largely forgotten today. Sachiko Matsuyama is convinced of its value not just for its redolent surface but also as a bond between people and nature. She finds an inspiring future for lacquer in the work of Takuya Tsutsumi, in partnership with an Australian surfboard maker.
Saeed Arzegan ✿ Love whisper - Our May laurel goes to an Iranian artist who reflects his culture's mastery of wood inlay and crafts a story about standing up for the victimised.
Punu ✿ Living wood - An exhibition from Maruku Arts at Uluru contains striking new works in burnt wood, punu, and "walka" board. "Walka" is a design that tells of Tjukurpa, the law of Anangu from Australian Central and Western Desert.
Wanda Gillespie ✿ Abacus - Our January laurel goes to Wanda Gillespie's gorgeous abacus. She takes mathematics on a detour.
Quarterly essay: Libraries of Stone and Wood - A Published Event is a remarkable project for nurturing and housing original stories. Their narrative greenhouses have stimulated the growth of a unique creative scene in Tasmania.
Slow design in wood - Laura McCusker speaks to the importance of care for materials and local production.
The Nullians - Sharyn Egan reflects on her work Nullians which fossicks settler-colonial history from the turned balga craft objects abandoned in second-hand shops.
From Sumatra to Bellbrae: A Jenny Crompton story - Jenny Crompton travelled to Sumatra where she learnt wood carving from a traditional datu spirit man. This gave her an appreciation of culture, but it wasn't her own. On discovering her Wadawurrung ancestry, she has developed a unique language of art from the kelp of the coast that is both her inspiration and rediscovered Country.
Simon&Jacob – A union for collaboration - Jessica Hutchison and Alex Jack articulate their thinking and making as woodworkers commissioned by the Australian Centre for Contemporary Art to produce furniture from the installation by Goldin+Senneby.
Two-Ways Learning – The gift that keeps on giving - How do incommensurate cultures work together? How do they connect while acknowledging differences? Bala ga Lili (Two-ways Learning) (2016) is a cross-cultural collaboration between Melbourne furniture designer, Damien Wright and Yolngu man, Bonhula Yunupingu, It was exhibited at Castlemaine Art Museum’s 2017 as part of The Extractive Frontier: Mining For Art, co-curated by Beverley Knight and Clare Wright.
Making wood precious in Astana, Kazakhstan - As a participant in the Sheber Festival Astana (Kazakhstan 17-18 December 2016) and Artistic Jewellery Workshop, Martina Dempf gives us a rare glimpse of the creative life of Astana, Kazakhstan.
Face-to-Face Across the World - Zina Burloiu and Terry Martin embrace WhatsApp as a platform for keeping the spirit of the World Crafts Council alive in the 21st century. Their extraordinary collaborations in wood show what can be done together, even when working in countries as far apart as Australia and Romania.
Zambia, I presume by Auditor Chiyonkoma - Nearby the majestic Victoria Falls, Auditor Chiyonkoma has created a business making wooden objects so that tourists can take away works of Zambian craft along with their memories. Auditor's story gives us a glimpse of how someone comes to be a maker in Africa today.
Defining studio furniture down under - A summary of the studio furniture phenomenon in New Zealand including its beginnings, educational opportunities, exhibitions, and participants.