Australian Design
Meet The Designer
Andrei Davidoff is a Melbournebased ceramic designer and maker, fast gaining recognition for his unique and functional creations.
Describe your pieces.
I make wheel-formed ceramic tableware that is inspired by Japanese aesthetics and a Scandinavian design sensibility. Ceramics is a traditional craft; I often use an unpowered kick-wheel and make my own glazes. My pieces reference landscape in a restrained way – either through form or Eastern, smokelike brush strokes.
Cross-cultural experiences shape your design outlook but how are the pieces uniquely Australian?
Australia is a country where these cultural exchanges and interactions of ideas take on new forms and influence design. Most of us have a hybrid identity of some kind, or aspire to certain aspects of a culture. I’m based in a city where these exchanges take place but spend a lot of time in the Snowy Mountains and Monaro plains. That big sky country seeps into my work; I may see a particular line in the horizon or a granite boulder or river pebble. Clay is very receptive in channelling these organic lines – it’s mud. All my pieces are made from Australian porcelains and clays.
What design trends do you foresee?
The value of good design. With long-lasting quality products people are more inclined to repair them as an emotional connection has been built. This is especially evident when natural materials are used – leathers, timbers, metals…
Is Australia a unique design hub?
Australia is in a unique position for innovation as we have such diverse ecosystems and are distanced from the rest of the design community. Our design education system is world class, you only have to look at the number of awards Australian students receive internationally. We are the only nation to win the global James Dyson award (the most prestigious Student Industrial and Engineering design award in the world) two years in a row. andreidavidoff.com
Andrei Davidoff’s wheel-formed ceramics are inspired by a restrained notion of landscape. These vessels feature oriental smoke-curl brushwork evocative of calligraphic paintings and invite quiet reflection. Made from translucent Australian porcelain, each piece is robust enough for daily use and is unique in its visual and tactile qualities. andreidavidoff.com
The team at Walter G search high and low to create highly unique oneoff pieces. They find old water vessels in the Jodhpur desert in India and work with restorers to scrub, dust and welcome the relics to a new lease on life. For lamp shades, like this quirky cute Turban Doughnut Lamp, they travelled around Rajasthan collecting vintage turbans. walter-g.com.au
The Obelisk Sofas by Ross Didier represent the modernist ideal of ‘form follows function’ with a futurist slant. The conventional typical sofa idea is interplayed with a twist, the end result offering a striking angular facet. And yes, they are super comfy thanks to thought-out ergonomic design and heaps of personal space. Nice! didier.com.au
