Incollect Magazine - Issue 12

24 www.incollect.com technology or the process doesn’t exist to make what we are looking for and so we have to invent it,” he says. The “Manta Pilti | Dry Sand Cabinet” design was first modeled on a computer, a process that took Jansen more than nine months. Maker Chris Nicholson then formed the raw surfaces using a combination of hand lamination bending and five-axis CNC machining, hand- finishing the pieces with hundreds of hours of sanding. The cabinet is then hand-assembled, with each of the curved, faceted surfaces glued together with wood and then layered on an engineered substrate that is physically stable. The Pankalangu Credenza and Cabinet are part of a stunning design series inspired by the ancestral folklore of the Western Arrernte Aboriginal people. The Pankalangu is a “territorial being that lives in the scrub and is completely camouflaged in the desert and bush,” Jansen explains. To evoke the image of this magical, mythical creature, Jansen adorned his cabinet and credenza with hundreds of scales made from Queensland walnut and copper, materials that variously absorb and reflect ambient light, creating shimmering, glistening silhouettes. Esteemed New York interior design firm Dunnam Zerbini recently placed a Pankalangu credenza in the gallery hall of a spectacular art and design-filled Central Park project. Trent Jansen’s work more than holds its own alongside top-tier collectible design by Michael Coffey and Mattia Bonetti, and artworks by Damien Hirst, Julian Schnabel and Mark Grotjahn. “Trent's furniture objects are handmade works of art,” says William Smart of Smart Design Studio in Sydney, a frequent purchaser of Jansen’s work for his interior design projects. “We often use them as the centerpiece of a room as they have a commanding presence and are 'next level' in terms of craft and individuality. Our clients always want to know the story behind these pieces; their forms and textures invite conversation. Hearing Trent explain the research, the concept and the makers behind each piece makes them even better,” he says. Smart believes Jansen’s designs are special because of a commitment not only to great design and to craftsmanship but also to the people he collaborates with. Gamilaraay and Dharug For the series Ngumu Janka Warnti (All Made from Rubbish), Trent Jansen collaborated with Indigenous saddler Johnny Nargoodah, working with aluminum mesh found at scrap yards. In an experimental “design by making” process, hand hammering the mesh and working with pliers resulted in biomorphic, sculptural furniture forms laminated with New Zealand saddle leather, a process the partners invented. The series includes a bench, a cabinet, low back and high back chairs, and a vessel. Top: Trent Jansen and Johnny Nargoodah, photo © Romella Pereira Bottom: Johnny Nargoodah turning scrap into the sublime. Photo courtesy Trent Jansen Studio