Touching Space is an appropriate name for the studio of Stuart Williams. His work – objects, furniture and lighting – do just that: touch space and enhance it.

Based in Hobart, Tasmania, Williams is right at home in our most southern Australian state and has literally carved out a place for his studio and work. Having studied in Hobart at University of Tasmania (UTAS) achieving a Bachelor of Fine Arts, majoring in furniture design and also receiving an associate Diploma of Architecture earlier in Perth, Western Australia, Williams has been refining his craft for more than 20 years.

He has multiple national and international solo and group exhibitions to his credit, received myriad awards, created bespoke commissions, provided his designs for umpteen projects and has been lauded in print and online. His career is substantial and his passion for creating never wanes.

Williams is a designer who is continually striving to strip back his work, making it as simple and honest as possible. “At its core, my practice is about finding a connection, belonging to a place – and reminding people to reflect on their environment, their home and the spaces they inhabit,” he elaborates.

The forms he conceives are grounded in sustainability where ideas such as reclaim, redistribute, rethink, regenerate and restore are not simply words, but a plan of action. His collections, in the most part, embrace the ideas of use through reuse and he creates beautiful objects that have a chance for a second life.

Williams explains: “Sustainability is central to my process. I use local materials and non-toxic finishes, striving to create work that lasts – pieces that are timeless, functional and, above all, cherished. My practice spans both production work and one-off creations, all made with care and intention.”

While he is familiar with Perth and Hobart, four and a half years were spent in Spain from 2016 to 2021, soaking up the history and culture as well as creating, and La Calle in Madrid was one exhibition that displayed his creativity from that time. This is also when the Escombro lamps and rubble vases were designed and the objects all speak of place through their rawness and materiality. While this year, Williams conceived his own display for Melbourne Design Week and launched the Memorial Forms collection.

While Williams has designed many collections, there are also custom commissions for special projects. His lights hang in Parliament House in South Australia, there are Bill lamps in Parliament House Tasmania, George lamps in the Frecycinet Pavilions, not to mention the many, hotels, offices and residences where his lighting and furniture are showcased.

Whether an object is big or small, ubiquitous or singular, Williams is intrigued to conceive an idea and make it his own. He works primarily with timber but also glass and ceramics and his versatility underpins his designs whatever they might be.

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With various collections of lighting, furniture and objects, there is simply something for everyone. For example, the Balga lights are pendants formed from timber strips and offer a variety of styles as do the Glass Pods, in soft muted colours. The George Lamp comes extra-large as a floor lamp or petite as Georgette for the table and is definitely a statement design.

There are multiple designs of consoles, side boards, stools, tables and chairs in timber, Williams’ material of choice. Utilising local Tasmanian eucalypt and Blackwood, the designer/maker works his magic and recreates objects of desire to grace home and office with this tactile and authentic material.

While the larger works generally attract the spotlight, Williams creates small but meaningful objects that are conceived with imagination and a touch of wit. Take for example his collection of timber spoons for the home chef, simply a must-have in every size and shape. The quirky handles delight the eye and enhance the act of cooking or look wonderful grouped on the wall as art pieces.

Exploring the versatility of ceramics is the Anthropomorphic collection of wall hooks. Again, whimsy is at play, with all manner of styles that turn the ordinary into the extraordinary. Through colour and texture the rustic yet polished forms are a fitting representation of Williams’ work.

As the designer explains, “For me, making is a way of documenting my relationship with wild places. It’s about capturing the rawness and wonder of the landscapes I love – the wildness that both awes and unsettles me. There’s a pull toward the unknown that I can’t resist; it builds anticipation, holds me in its solitude, and keeps me returning.”

At the heart of all that Williams does is the passion to create and a love of the natural world. Surrounded as he is in Tasmania by beautiful countryside, there is ample inspiration and it shines through his work.

However, Williams is thinking of the future and is planning ahead, wanting to collaborate with his local council to build a plastics recycling education system that would help teach the community about plastics, the different varieties and how to recycle correctly. He is also wanting to engage with industry to better recycle at the source.

Another project on his mind is to build a mobile recycling factory that encourages the public to bring their plastic for shredding, which in turn, is reformed as another useful object. These ideas are top of mind but the designer is excited at the prospects and impacts that these initiatives would have on his community.

Williams embodies thoughtful design through his pieces. As a designer/maker he also crafts objects that will stand the test of time and become heirlooms of the future – and, after all, that’s the point of good design.

Touching Space
touchingspace.com.au

Photography
Peter Whyte, Jonthan Wherrett and Duncographic

Next up: Melbourne Design Week 2025