Melbourne Design Week, running until May 24, presents works by Australian furniture makers who incorporate recycled materials and circular economy principles. Four artists are highlighted.
## Artists and Works
Isabel Avendaño-Hazbún created upholstery material from discarded bicycle tyres. Her "The Chair" (2022) uses timber and handwoven tyre rope. She uses readily available timbers like Tasmanian oak and Victorian ash. Her work is part of "Future Ambition" at Craft Victoria.
Jess Humpston presents a work titled "Felled: Reimagining Timber Supply in Contemporary Practice" using timber offcuts. Her "Ballast" coffee table employs interlocking joints without glue. She previously worked in fashion and interior design.
Georgie Szymanski created "Light Chair" for the "100 Chairs" exhibition. The design is inspired by Gio Ponti's Leggera chair (1951). She uses Australian timbers, including Tasmanian Blackwood offcuts.
Raven Mahon, a musician and furniture designer, produced a soundscape for Avendaño-Hazbún's display by recording woodworking machinery. She makes commission-based residential furniture.
The Victorian Woodworkers Association, a non-profit in North Melbourne, serves as a meeting point for several of the featured artists.