New Zealand designer David Moreland looks offshore with his new works. Here, he shares his thoughts on the experience of showing his work at Milan Design Week and DesignEx, discusses his latest releases and what he has lined up next.
HOME You’ve just shown your work at Milan Design Week and DesignEx in Sydney. How did that go? And how important is it for New Zealand designers to be able to access export markets?
David Moreland I was lucky enough to be accepted into an exhibition titled The Other Hemisphere, which provided the opportunity to be part of two great trade fairs. I didn’t get to Milan but did go to Sydney and it was really worthwhile. Being New Zealand-based means Australia is a really valuable market and I came back enthused and confident I can be successful there.
HOME Tell us about the development of your latest releases, the ‘Shadow’ mirrors and ‘Surface’ pendants.
David Moreland The ‘Shadow’ mirrors were designed for the Sydney and Milan exhibitions and are constructed out of laser-cut, folded and powder-coated aluminium. The concept behind the product was to use symmetrical and asymmetrical geometric shapes and seamlessly nest them into corners. The use of black punctuates a space, whereas white provides a subtler aesthetic. The ‘Surface’ pendants are made from CNC-cut timber and provide a hidden, ambient light source. They’re able to be hung from the ceiling or wall-mounted, with the idea that they are as visually strong even when they’re turned off. At this stage neither design is in full production, which is not normally how I operate, but it was really nice to work on some projects without such a commercial focus for a change.
HOME What else are you working on at the moment?
David Moreland I’m working through the release of a new 800mm x 800mm ‘Elevation’ table, as well as better price point options for this design. And I’ve just completed producing a ceiling rose for the ‘Pendant 45’ which it can house three lights and creates a waterfall-type chandelier.
More at davidmorelanddesign.com.
