27 January 2012

He Made She Made, Sydney's Concept Gallery

Emerging Sydney design collective He Made She Made has launched the city's newest design concept gallery.

A call-out from the City of Sydney for ways to revitalise the Darlinghurst end of Oxford Street - a major thoroughfare with a fairly vibrant nightlife but not exactly a creative hub - proved the perfect opportunity for emerging design co-operative He Made She Made.

The 4-person collaborative was in need of a space to experiment and create, as well as to foster new talent in a city that can be tough to crack.

"Sydney often feels a bit closed when starting out in art and design," explains Maaike Pullar, one of He Made She Made's founding members.

Calling themselves 'designers, thinkers and makers,' the collective has set up shop in a newly acquired gallery on Oxford Street, building a platform for their own experimentation as well as promoting the work of fellow Australian artists and designers.

C10 stool, Jennifer Edmonds

He Made She Made is all about creating and curating; blurring the boundaries between art and design and carefully selecting work with a strong handcrafted quality.

"Handmade design is a niche market at this stage, so we're trying to change that," Pullar says.

The space houses a gallery at the front and a workshop at the back, where the He Made She Made collective can explore their own ideas.

Pullar describes it as an "open kitchen methodology" - anyone can drop by and see the design and manufacture process in action, as well as check out work from emerging and established Australian designers. Henry Wilson's Bedrock lamp and Coco Reynolds' Thread Light are on display, as well Christel Hadiwibawa's P2 chair (hero image at top); work from sculptor Dion Horstman, furniture designer Josh Carmody, and lighting designer ilanel are among the many pieces exhibited in their first showcase.

Thread light (detail), Coco Reynolds

Bedrock lamp, Henry Wilson

With so much diversity on show, the common element is the rawness and materiality of each of the pieces.

"We're interested in materiality and narrative," Pullar explains. "Most of the stuff is raw, honest and conceptual. We love it aesthetically," she says, calling it a "solid showcase" of work.

The response from the design community has already been overwhelmingly positive, with countless designers sending in their pieces - mostly prototypes, made to order - for exhibition, as well as dropping by to bounce around ideas.

Wool Ball, ilanel

"Having a space where people are coming down and sharing stories is really inspiring," Pullar says of the space, which she describes as having "a lot of honesty. Don't expect your standard [gallery]. It's quite fresh. It's all about materiality and experimentation."

The He Made She Made design concept gallery launches on Tuesday 31 January at 70 Oxford Street Darlinghurst.

Opening hours Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday 11am-6pm; Thursday 11am-9pm; Saturday, Sunday 11am-4pm.

He Made She Made are now taking applications for pieces for upcoming shows. If you have something you'd like to submit, contact them via email or download a submission form from their website.

He Made She Made
hemadeshemade.com