It was an honour to be part of the judging panel for the 2025 Clarence Prize for Excellence in Furniture Design (with $20,000 first prize), alongside Patrick Hall and Brian Parkes, and to share in conversations, perspectives, and the outstanding work presented.
Judging in the barn at the Rosny Farm is always special. I spent my first year in the Rosny Cottage next door, living in the attic while our house was being built. My father leased the office there as a land surveyor for ten years. Early memories include our first family black kitten, a stray from the place, the occasional golf ball through the windows, and peering through padlocked barn doors to glimpse tractors and golf machinery inside. Returning now to see this place alive with creativity feels like a full circle moment.
This year’s overall winner, Ash Allen, created an interpretation of a bean bag using steel mesh with an intricate flocked finish. As Patrick Hall described it, ‘Beanless manages to be solid yet fragile, volumetric but linear, to capture both light and shadow’.
Highly commended: Adam Markowitz & Ruth Allen for ‘Kindling’
Emerging Designer Award: Jess Humpston for ‘Ballast’
The exhibition is on display until October 6th at Rosny Farm .
Photo 1 / by Rosny Farm / Clarence Council
Photo 2 / Alastair Bett
Photo 2 / by Sarah Bishop / Clarence Council
Photo 3 & 4 / by Jane Valentine
