This exhibition series, established in 2022, challenges Australian makers and designers to repurpose/reuse discarded materials to produce new handmade luxury goods.
The aim of the series is to highlight the value of raw materials and to recognise the threat of material scarcity on designers, artists and makers, and associated impacts on their artistic and commercial outcomes. Through this process, designers and makers work to rebuild structure, redefine aesthetic appeal and reinstate value in otherwise discarded materials.
For the third By/Product iteration, artist and furniture maker Locki Humphrey will explore the production waste from the prickly pear tree – an abundant invasive species – using the byproduct from fruit harvesting to produce a sustainable leather alternative.
With a particular focus on minimal intervention and sustainable practices, Locki will present a range of furniture and objects that can be assembled and disassembled for ongoing repair and re-use.
“We can live in a world where objects are celebrated for their beauty as well as their flexibility, their ability to be pulled apart and transformed into something else. We can begin to understand objects as only one iteration of an assemblage of materials, knowing it’s part of a larger life cycle, where each component has a history and a future.” – Locki Humphrey, artist
By/Product forms part Conscious Craft – a Craft Victoria initiative showcasing innovative creations by makers and designers who are actively considering sustainability and ethics in their production methods and use of materials.
Furniture