Concept to Collection, Patrick Adeney's debut exhibition

Concept to Collection is a debut solo exhibition by emerging Tasmanian designer maker Patrick Adeney. The exhibition is centred around two bodies of work; Elbe, a series of dining tables and Mara, a series of benches. The work is tactile and sculptural with soft edges and sweeping curves that entice the viewer to touch and feel the work.

In developing these bodies of work, Patrick has been able to explore materiality, form, balance, colour, and their relationship to functionality. He has been able to experiment with his designs and identify where a design is successful, and more importantly – where it is not.

Patrick credits the assistance received via a Springboard Scholarship which has funded his workshop and studio expenses at Designed Objects Tasmania for six months.  “The support from DOT has been enormous. As an emerging designer, the people of DOT have really helped me to develop my work, which is invaluable during these early stages.”

Patrick is inspired by the natural world around him. His furniture references shapes and junctions found in some of Tasmania’s most iconic trees. Whilst the work is sculptural, it is equally functional and robust. He loves to showcase exposed joinery; bringing a traditional element into a very contemporary practice.

Concept to Collection follows the development of each piece, showing how issues have been overcome and resolved. It is through the process of exploring an idea, creating a design, building it, then rebuilding it that he says he feels most comfortable.

“I never formally trained as a furniture maker, my background is as a tradesman”, he says. “Design for me can’t just be on the iPad, that will get me only 50% there. I need to make it, look at it, live with it, study it in the flesh and then do it again. This process of refinement is not about seeking absolute perfection. It’s about working towards it. It’s about taking the best parts of a prototype and doing it again, each time a little better.”

You can see Concept to Collection from July 15 to 24 at Long Gallery, Salamanca Arts Centre