As Melbourne Design Week looms large on the design horizon, there will be much to see and do across the metropolis and regional centres.

One exciting event that is a must-attend will be Shared Material Intelligence on Thursday 21st May, from 3:30pm to 5:30pm. This experiential event comes from the fabulously talented glass artist Ruth Allen and the r.a.g.e Hot Glass Studio team. As Allen and r.a.g.e are also The Trophy partner at the 2026 INDE.Awards, we know that it will be something very special.

For Shared Material Intelligence, glass artist Allen will be joined by furniture designer Nicole Lawrence for a live glassblowing demonstration and discussion, tracing the evolution of two sculptural wall sconces from design and production to resolution.

With two high-profile artists and designers collaborating, this event will be not only informative and educational, but spectacular to witness.

Allen is a leader of her craft with a career spanning more than 35 years. She predominantly focuses on installation, sculpture, performance, design and education, and her work explores elemental materials and phenomenological experience.

She has received multiple accolades and awards and is the Director of r.a.g.e, an independent hot glass studio in Coburg North, Victoria. Alongside her team, Allen is establishing the Glass Epicentre – Victoria’s first independent, purpose-built, community glassmaking facility, safeguarding the cultural legacy of glass art.

Related: Changemaker by design

Lawrence, on the other hand, is a renowned Melbourne-based designer and maker specialising in furniture and lighting. She balances structural purpose with artistic freedom and draws on her technical expertise from over a decade of experience. Through her process-led methodology, she creates contemporary, collectible pieces.

While creating furniture and lighting today, Lawrence studied Gold and Silversmithing and Industrial Design, informing her broad approach to design. She launched her eponymous studio in Melbourne at the start of 2020, beginning a journey that includes a studio collection, exhibition works, creative collaborations and commissions.

During the event at r.a.g.e, molten glass will be blown directly into two separate moulds – one designed by Allen and one by Lawrence. Allen’s practice records the grain and fissures of fallen eucalypt bark, pressing molten glass into its surface to translate texture into form. In contrast, Lawrence employs a precisely engineered mould, using protrusions to articulate and direct light.

Inside the hotshop, Allen and Lawrence will unpack the structural, spatial and aesthetic negotiations required to transform these textural glass elements into functional design. The audience will be guided through design ideation, prototypes and problem solving, revealing the invisible labour and decision-making behind product design.

Rather than designing in isolation and outsourcing production, Allen and Lawrence model collective making: a practice grounded in shared material intelligence and mutual respect for discipline-honed expertise. Two distinct design languages work in dialogue to arrive at a unique outcome.

For designers, architects and makers invested in craft-led practice, this is an opportunity to witness design intelligence unfolding in real time. Here, process is positioned as conscious and adaptive, strengthened when Australian makers remain embedded across the full arc of production.

This event will be truly experiential. You’ll see experts at work, feel the heat and watch the forms become real. It’s design at its best and an unforgettable Melbourne Design Week event.

Shared Material Intelligence is free to attend; however, capacity is limited and registration via Eventbrite is essential.

Shared Material Intelligence MDW26
designweek.melbourne

Ruth Allen
ruthallen.com.au

Nicole Lawrence
nicolelawrence.online