Floor talk with Platform 26: Why We Make

Join us at the Depot Artspace on the 21st of November to hear the designer/makers from Platform 26 talk about ‘why they make’ and what inspires them. With such a diverse array of mediums and concepts on display, this will be an opportunity to delve a little deeper and hear about the inspirations and themes that drive the Platform artists. About the Makers Rebecca Asquith is a designer and maker of things from Taranaki. With 25 year’s experience in the film industry, ranging from model making to art direction, Rebecca creates conceptual sculptural works combining decades of her experience building intricate models and finely crafted furniture. Her sculptural works delve into narratives that explore her concern for issues around the environment and sustainability. Susannah Bridges (B.Des) is an Auckland based artist/designer who grew up in Devonport.  Susannah’s ceramics and lighting are widely recognised within New Zealand and aboard - her work has been acquired by the Auckland Museum, The Dowse and MTG in Hawkes Bay. She continues to practice her craft while constantly pushing the envelope within this media. Kennedy Brown began designing and making furniture in the late 1990s. Inspired by growing up in the cultural melting pot that is Aotearoa, New Zealand, Kennedy’s creations display elements of art, design and craft - as well as free-thinking and experimentation. Edward Fuller is a multi-disciplinary designer based on the North Shore. He concentrates on the design and production of objects and furniture which primarily explore the manipulation of flat surfaces and repetition of geometric shapes. By allowing his design process to work within the laws of geometry, he has created a unique and original language of form and function which he uses as the core foundation for his design direction. Rupert Herring is an artist and designer based in Mangawhai. He combines his skills as a cabinet maker and knowledge of materials to create work which projects ideas of transformation and potential within the realm of used objects/ and or material - making something new from something old. Roger Kelly is based in Hawkes Bay and has a 30-year history designing, making and exhibiting furniture and objects and 20 years lecturing in 3D design and design thinking practice. Current research and practice focuses on making objects that enhances people’s wellbeing by supporting our connections to place, to nature, ourselves and each other through deep materialism. Leon Kipa A descendant of Waikato, Te Arawa, Ngā Puhi and Ngāti Kahu and now living and working in Auckland. Leon’s work reclaims Māori object design and indigenous knowledge. An industrial designer of 20 years. He now pursues his indigenous values for guidance. Leon crafts work that represents genealogy, sustainability and nature.