Incollect Magazine - Issue 12

Incollect Magazine 27 mesh, recycled, available as scrap metal,” the designer explains. “This series is a collaboration with Johnny Nargoodah, a saddler who has worked on remote cattle stations. We went together to a scrap yard, found what we could, and experimented. It is made of hand-hammered mesh laminated with leather, a process we invented. Three cow hides are used to make each chair. We have now made a cabinet, a bench, chairs, and tables from this material and have experimented with different colors for clients.” Lewis Wexler says that the response to Jansen’s works at the Wexler Gallery has been overwhelmingly positive. “The “Manta Pilti” cabinet is like a magnet that draws clients in. There is a sense of delight and wonder when people get close to it and witness the impeccable craftsmanship. Everyone wants to open it! His Nguni Janka Waranti series attracts both designers and makers. His work is so different from the “norm” because it is steeped in Australian culture and design sensibility. Viewing Trent’s work is a unique experience. People are just amazed and that amazement is what drew me to his work in the first place.” In May 2024, Jansen opened a 20-year survey of his work at Melbourne Design Week. “I can't believe it's been 20 years. I feel like I am only getting started,” he says. Jansen continues to work on designs every day in his studio, where he works alone or sometimes with the help of one assistant. “I am open to anything, and the less orthodox the better,” he says, laughing. I experiment, and love different processes and materials, mixing cultures and areas of craft and expertise. This way of working can inspire something unique and new, taking us out of our comfort zones.” Previous page and below: Designed by Trent Jansen in collaboration with Aboriginal carver Errol Evans, the Kutitji Chair’s design was based on traditional Aboriginal shields. (Kutitji is a Western Desert Language dialect word for shield.) The project began with an exchange of sketches of traditional shields and weapons as components of a chair, and evolved into this elegant, hand-carved, coopered form. The handle on the back mimics handles on the back of Aboriginal shields traditionally used for hunting and defense, and reinforces the structure. Here, the shield is both form and symbol, as the artists call attention to climate change — whose effects are particularly harsh on the Indigenous population — referencing the earth’s ozone layer as a precious protective shield. Photos © Fiona Susanto