Shining a light on design with Adam Cruickshank

Adam Cruickshank’s natural penchant for unearthing the most unique response to a brief by contributing to each unique site and avoiding transient trends, has seen him rise in the Australian designer-maker scene, consistently delivering unexpected, yet timeless pieces. 

When Christian Lyon approached Cruickshank Design Studio to design furniture for the new Perth Louis Vuitton store, Cruickshank took the opportunity to bring out an earlier concept that was “loaded with technical challenges”. Without the right client, says Cruickshank, the project was “ultimately unfeasible”.

“Through consultation with experts across additive manufacturing, metal casting and engineering, the idea became possible. Combining traditional and advanced technologies made for an extremely exciting process which was rewarding for all parties involved,” says Cruickshank.

What resulted was the Evolve table, which features an intricately cast bronze base that resembles a compact tree trunk weaved from spiderwebs, created in collaboration with Michael Shepard. The Evolve table, which provided an unexpected visual feature yet was still in line with the store’s materiality, is the paragon of Cruickshank’s ability to interpret client briefs in ways that surprise and delight.

Despite being only 2 years old, its projects like this have established Cruickshank Design Studio as a name to be reckoned with in both the local and international design community.

Cruickshank started out as a designer-maker on the New South Wales’ Central Coast, before moving to Western Australia to study. As Cruickshank’s career began to skyrocket, an increasing demand for his work led him to start Cruickshank Design Studio in 2019 in Fremantle.

Adam Cruickshank’s designs have since been hosted in numerous public and private collections. He has contributed bespoke feature lighting and furniture to a variety of projects, such as Splash, a light sculpture inspired by Perth’s waterside lifestyle and designed for a multi-residential lobby in Perth. The light consists of 64 cantilevered struts supporting “a sweeping array of illuminated light capsules which undulate through the void”.

Cruickshank has also worked on a range of public art commissions for councils, developers and architects, such as Terra Fragmenta – a public art installation for Red Earth Arts Precinct Karratha.

“Working at a larger scale is a progression only made possible through collaborations with engineers, industry and other creatives,” says Cruickshank.

Collaboration with George Domahidy and Pavel Perina on Terra Fragmenta allowed for significant contributions to a sense of space – something that Cruickshank sees as a pillar of his practice.

“We produced the work in Perth and spent four weeks in Karratha during mid-summer installing thousands of tiles over 25 metres and 6 metres height,” says Cruickshank.

What resulted was an abstract reflection of the Pilbara landscape that draws inspiration from the Karijini gorges and the Dampier Archipelago islands by reflecting the rich tonal palette of the region. The purples, whites, creams, blues, greens and ochres are brought to life once more in the evening with a colour programmed light display.

Cruickshank was commissioned by Edge Visionary Living to work on Outside my window, Vantage Riversedge Apartments. Contributing four artworks for the building, including a sculptural pendant that “creates a dialogue between the built form and its context, accentuating the building’s architectural language through an allegorical interpretation of the swan river”, and bespoke cantilevered benches, he played an integral part in shaping the building’s aesthetic.

From the sheer joy that Cruickshank takes from collaborations and the way in which he immerses himself into each brief, it’s clear why Cruickshank is an Australian treasure.

Cruickshank Design Studio
Cruickshankdesignstudio.com