art by stuart williams

About me

My work is about finding a sense of place within the urban landscape. The main idea I guess is to capture the audience. To hold them for a moment in wonderment, especially in today’s technological age.

StueI try to make furniture that has a “soul” or a life of its own that tells a story or a t least allows the viewer to imagine one. This gives the space to look beyond the practical object.

"Art is like a green space in a city filling with concrete. It is a space to breathe, to walk slowly, to meditate on life and its meaning, to find new understanding about oneself and others, to be surprised by beauty, to be made aware of the subtle vibrations and graduations of life that so often pass in a blur. Art is a place to think. Above all, art is a place to feel." Jeanette Winterson

History

Education

1991-96 Associate Diploma Architecture

2000-2004 Bachelor of Fine Arts (major in furniture design) UTAS

Awards

2002 Winner - Plantation Design Tasmanian Wood Design Biennial

2002 Emerging Designer Award Furniture Design Association Tasmania

2006 Runner Up - Concept Design IDEA Awards (Helix Light)

2006 Runner Up - The Edge Awards (Helix Light)

2007 Runner Up - Concept Design IDEA Awards (Firefly)

2007 Short-listed LaunchPad (Balga & Firefly)

2007 People’s Choice Award Workshopped (Balga Light)

2008 Finalist Launch Pad (Light 67)

2008 Finalist Workshopped (Glass Pods and Floor Pods)

2009 Emerging Artist Award Clarence Prize for Excellence

2009 Short-listed Tasmanian Design Award 

Publications

2001 Australian Woodworking Review

2002 Inside Australian Design Review Tasmanian design Profile

2002 University of Tasmania Prospectus

2004 Object Magazine

2004 Inside out Magazine

2005 The Age newspaper, A2 section

2006 Inside Out Magazine February-March

2006 Inside Australian design review Artist profile

2006 West Australian newspaper

2007 Sunday Times, Western Australia

2007 Australian Woodworking Review

2007 DQ (Design Quarterly)

2007 Habitat The West Australian

2008 DQ (Design Quarterly)

2008 (Inside) australian design review (NEXT)

2008 Inside Out

2008 Monument

2010 The Mercury newspaper Tasmania

2010 The Age newspaper, A2 section

Commissions

2000 Eat the Peach Restaurant (stools) Hobart

2001 Annapurna Restaurant (lighting) Hobart

2002 Forestry Tasmania (day bed for public display)

2002 State Library of Tasmania (reading tables)

2003 Baker D. Chirico Bakery, St Kilda (outdoor seating and tables)

2003 C.R.P. Hospital Bangladesh (reception Desks)

2004 Henry Jones Art Hotel (bar stools)

2008 Lansdowne Crescent Primary School public art project (with Forrest Whitten)

2009 Snug Primary School public art project (with Forrest Whitten)

2010 Snug primary school seating

2010 Rosebery High School public art project (with Jonathon Partridge)

Exhibitions

2001 One Tree Project, Bond Store Hobart

2002 Design = function + Fibre, Salamanca Arts Centre

2002 Wood Design Biennial, Hobart City Town Hall

2002 Furnitex, Melbourne (University of Tasmania)

2003 F.D.A. Show and Tell, Constitution Dock

2004 Counter Productive, Craft Victoria

2005 Touching Space, Craft Victoria

2005 Blue Christmas, Craft Victoria

2006 Salone Satellite, Milan Furniture Fair, Italy

2006 Made in Midland, FORM Gallery Perth

2006 Yellow Christmas, Craft Victoria

2007 Touching Space, solo exhibition, Breadbox gallery Perth WA

2007 Handmark Gallery Group show

2008 In the field of everlastings, Handmark Gallery, with Mandy Renard

2008 Pods In Situ, Design Island, Salamanca Hobart

2008 New Work 08, FDA group show Design Island, Hobart

2009 Urban Enlightenment, Design Island, Hobart

2009 Clarence Prize for Excellence in Furniture Design, Tasmania

2009 DOT: Port of Departure Biennial Exhibition, Hobart

2009 Tasmanian Design Award, The Design Centre, Tasmania

2009 White Christmas, Craft Victoria

2010 Handmark Gallery group show, Hobart

RELEVANT EMPLOYMENT

2003-2008 Self employed as designer/craft practitioner

2004 Aid work in Bangladesh (design and Project Management of reception CRP Hospital Dakha)

2005 Teaching furniture design, Curtin University, WA