The winner of the 2011 Bombay Sapphire Design Discovery Award is Henry Wilson. Wilson received the award at a ceremony at Sydney’s Museum of Contemporary Art on 27 October.
The judges – Heidi Dokulil, Ewan McEoin, Liane Rossler, Jennifer Sanders, Terri Winter, Colin Rochester and Richard Waller – chose Henry’s stylish and elegant A-Joint design from the top ten entries. A-Joint is a sand-cast, incredibly strong, multi-use joinery system using timber in four different configurations within a sturdy A-frame structure. Easy to recycle and produce, the joint is highly versatile – it can be used for tables and benches, market stalls, shop fitouts, and temporary housing.
As this year’s winner, Henry Wilson will be awarded AUD$30,000 towards the commercialization of his design and a trip to a leading design fair, with a choice between Index in Denmark, DesignMiami/ or Interieur 2012 in Belgium.
The runners-up – Alexander Fitzpatrick with Light Garden, Dale Hardiman with Kids Straw Stool, Dominic Broadhurst with Scale, and Flynn Talbot with X & Y – will each receive $2,500. The finalists – Marc Harrison with Husque Jug, Alexandra Gilmour and Dominic Chong with Spun Lamps by Evie Group, Duncan Meerding with Cracked Log Lamps, Kristian Aus with Dottie Coat Rack, and Dennis Abalos with Woven – will each receive $1,000.
The Bombay Sapphire Design Discovery Award initiative is part of Bombay Sapphire’s continued commitment to assisting Australian designers in developing their careers. An exhibition of the Bombay Sapphire Design Discovery Award top ten designs will take place from 3 t0 25 November at the Supa Centa Moore Park, Gallery Level, 2A Todman Ave Kensington (Sydney). The exhibition is open during trading hours; for details please visit www.supacentamoorepark.com.au.
