Anyone who says Canberra doesn’t have design talent is, well, a bit loopy.
Two capital designers have proven that we have what it takes to be en vogue. So much so that the two designers—designer-maker Nellie Peoples and industrial designer Sam Tomkins—have been named finalists in the Vogue Living Alessi Design Prize (Emerging Designer).
Their design? Company vessels. These pressure-moulded stainless steel vessels are curved and scaled to fit every so neatly in the palm of your hand. They’re perfect for serving entrées and have caught the eye of one of the most prestigious magazines in the country.
TOMKINS + PEOPLES adore making beautiful, functional objects that bring people together when sharing food. You can buy Company vessels at Agency in Braddon (Craft ACT’s retail shop—remember, only a few more weeks until Christmas).
The idea behind this unique collaborative project was to think about food utensils in a new way. The design evolved from the desire and need to greet each other while holding food. When not being used, the vessels join together to form a pattern of belonging.
The Company vessels project was supported by the $2,500.00 prize awarded to Nellie and Sam at last year’s DESIGN Canberra Festival—Design + Craft Award for their Fusion: the art of eating vessels.
Nellie and Sam met many moons ago in a Design Technology class at Daramalan College. Nellie ventured off to study architecture at University of Canberra. She then studied studying gold- and silver-smithing at ANU School of Art and now creates jewellery and metal objects. Sam completed his Bachelor of Industrial Design at UC and now teaches there. His designs focus on improving the user experience.
Together, TOMKINS + PEOPLES combine their skill sets, with a strong sense of communication, to collaborate on projects.
They’ll be joining forces with Mathew Woolfe, a cook and landscape designer, at the upcoming DESIGN Canberra Festival, which will take place 21 to 29 November. Their pop-up shop will explore why we gather around food and how sharing a meal is a great context for great design.
Although Nellie is now living in Queensland, she continues to work with Sam. If the pair wins the Vogue Living design prize, they’ll present their design to Alessi, an internationally renowned housewares and kitchen utensil company, based in Italy. We’re keeping our fingers crossed that Alessi will pick up Company vessels for their internationally renowned collections.
DESIGN Canberra kicked off on 21 November. The festival will be rolling out nine days of exciting events and activities. More than 70 activities are included in the program, including many that are free.
Click here to check out the full program online.
