MAKE Award

28 September – 22 November 2023

Australian Design Centre presents this major new national award celebrating innovation in contemporary craft and design. Works were submitted by Australian designer makers demonstrating innovation in technique or material use, and the 30 pre-selected finalists form this exciting exhibition.

Ceramic Stories [digital connections]

30 November - 25 January 2024

Ceramic Stories [digital connections] presents diverse ceramic sculptures, objects and installations fused with digital activations.

They farmed tapioca, oranges and rice

30 November - 25 January 2024

They farmed tapioca, oranges and rice poetically examines the multiple cultural and biological lineages that Camille Laddawan and her partner Roslyn Orlando will share with their child.

Deep Material Energy II

5 October–22 November 2023

Deep Material Energy II is a collaborative project developed with four artists from Australia and four artists from Aotearoa. Within this geographic and cultural context, the artists contemplate their art practices in relation to their respective countries.

Remade-Reloved 2023

5 October–28 October 2023

In this project, the 12 selected artists repurpose costume jewellery into new contemporary pieces – converting the discarded and unloved into the precious and unique.

jam: Show + Tell

3 August - 16 September

JamFactory presents a uniquely Australian designed and made collection of furniture, lighting and objects.

With Our Elders

3 August–16 September 2023

Reinforcing the 2023 NAIDOC theme ‘For Our Elders’, inspired by coolamons created by Euphemia Bostock and informed by ADC’s Strategic Framework: First Nations Engagement, With Our Elders celebrates Elders in our community.

GOOD NATURED: design art architecture

15 June – 27 July 2023

GOOD NATURED: design art architecture celebrates creative projects by designers, artists and architects working to design a better future. These practitioners are focussed on creating outcomes that are both beautiful and good for the planet.

Mutukaku Ngura: Motorcar Country

30 March – 7 June 2023

In this exhibition, Tjanpi Desert Weavers ingeniously combine cultural weaving practices with recycling found objects in a series of hanging fibre sculptures created by weaving native grass onto the metal car seat frames salvaged from the remains of burnt-out motorcars.

Weaving matter: materials and context

30 March – 7 June 2023

Contemporary weavers exploring diverse concepts through experimentation with materials and weave structures to create innovative and contemporary stories.

Melbourne Design Fair

18 - 21 May 2023

Australian Design Centre presents ten designers at the Melbourne Design Fair, curated by Rina Bernabei and Lisa Cahill in a booth collaboration with Australian Tapestry Workshop.

Unravelling Queerly

4 February - 22 March 2023

From political struggles, relationships with family and self-identity to knitted protest banners and dark glittery glory holes – Unravelling Queerly is a whirlwind of emotion.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people should be aware that this website may contain images, voices and names of deceased persons.

Hearts of Absent Women

22 November – 25 January 2023

Hearts of Absent Women is a feminine expression of cultural rebellion and a solo exhibition featuring Ema Shin.

Beyond design as usual

24 November 2022 – 25 January 2023

Beyond design as usual showcases the work of 13 Honours students from the School of Design, University of Technology, Sydney (UTS) across multiple design disciplines.

FUSE Glass Prize 2022

7 October –16 November 2022

Presented in partnership with the JamFactory, FUSE Glass Prize 2022 is Australasia’s foremost prize for Australian and New Zealand glass artists.

Profile: Contemporary Jewellery and Object Award

9 August - 28 September 2022 

In partnership with the Jewellery and Metalsmiths Group of Australia – NSW Inc., Australian Design Centre presents Profile: Contemporary Jewellery and Object Award. A diverse group of 73 national and international contemporary jewellers and object designers

Seed Stitch Contemporary Textile Award 2022

7 October –16 November 2022

Seed Stitch Contemporary Textile Award highlights the ideas, materials and processes explored by textile and fibrecraft artists based in NSW and ACT. Diverse themes feature in this biannual exhibition and award, ranging from satirical humour to environmental concerns.

External Review

14 - 24 September 2022

External Review is an explorative exhibition by Australian designer Tom Fereday which follows and celebrates the entire design process from materials to product. Presented by the Australian Design Centre in collaboration with Evostyle, Swiss Design and the American Hardwood Export Council, as part of Sydney Design Week.

Bioplastic Futures: 3D Printing and the Maker Movement

16 June – 2 July 2022

Through speculative design and critical making experiments with bioplastics, ceramics and repurposed objects, Matthew Harkness’ Bioplastic Futures: 3D Printing and the Maker Movement addresses issues of waste and exclusivity in maker practices.

Living Treasures

Living Treasures: Masters of Australian Craft celebrates the work and practice of exceptional individuals who have demonstrated more than three decades of excellence in their chosen discipline.

Transformative Repair x ADC

2 - 10 June 2022

Broken design objects, collected from high-profile arts leaders and climate change activists, have been transformed by leading Australian designers. These future heirlooms will be previewed at Australian Design Centre from 2 June with the live auction on 9 June.

The Art of Making

10 February – 19 March 2022

The Art of Making: Studio Woodworkers Australia demonstrates technical mastery pushing creative and material boundaries. Across an eclectic selection of furniture, objects and wall pieces, the exhibition highlights the unique qualities of Australian timbers and fine craft and design skills.

Happy objects.

18 November — 2 February 2022

Happy objects is an exhibition exploring the value of objects. We asked 21 people from various backgrounds and professions to share with us a 'happy object' and tell us the story about this object.

Revisiting Shoei Yoh

30 November 2021 - 2 February 2022

Revisiting Shoei Yoh is an exhibition that draws from the archive of Japanese architect and late 20th century pioneer of digital design, Shoei Yoh.

WORKSHOPPED21

20 July - 18 August 2021

Australian Design Centre and WORKSHOPPED are delighted to present the digital 21st edition of the design industry’s much anticipated annual program WORKSHOPPED21 - the very best in new Australian furniture lighting and object design by emerging and established designers.

Endangered + Extinct

20 May – 7 July 2021

Endangered + Extinct is an exhibition exploring the form and design of various buildings in Australia, through ceramic sculptures. These places are either under threat of demolition or no longer physically exist due to human intervention.

Signatures

25 March to 13 May 2021

Signatures: the mark as the embodiment of identity and intent presents new works from Untethered Fibre Artists Inc. Eighteen New South Wales artists interrogate, interpret and respond to the theme ‘signatures’ in this interrelated exhibition.

Anita Johnson Larkin

4 February - 20 March 2021

The exhibition explores human brokenness through gestures of repair. Abandoned and collected objects are combined with felt, beeswax, honey and lead in Larkin’s artworks offering themselves up as intimate poetry of love, longing and loss.

Design | Isolate

26 November 2020 - 27 January 2021

Design/Isolate is an Australian Design Centre initiative to show how creative thought can help lead the way for change. Over 60 designers/creative thinkers have captured their thoughts in sketches, diagrams, drawings, text or collage on COVID-19, isolation, what ‘a new normal’ in Australia might look like, how they are affected and how design might contribute to recovery post-pandemic.

Isolate Make: Creative Resilience in a Pandemic

26 November – 27 January 2021

Isolate Make explores how creative practice has adapted to isolation, associated restrictions and production challenges, or in response to the year’s tragic global events.  Through images, text, video and final work on exhibition Isolate Make gives a unique insight into a wide range of contemporary art, craft and design practice.

FUSE Glass Prize 2020

9 October - 17 November 2020

Reflecting the importance of glass art to Australian craft and design, FUSE Glass Prize 2020, presented by Australian Design Centre in partnership with the JamFactory, is a non-acquisitive biennial prize for outstanding Australian and New Zealand glass artists.

Seed Stitch Contemporary Textile Award 2020

9 October – 17 November 2020
Seed Stitch Contemporary Textile Award 2020 is a biennial exhibition produced and presented by Australian Design Centre in partnership with the Seed Stitch Collective. This year the competition attracted 49 entries from NSW textile artists and the exhibition features outstanding work by the 25 finalists.

WORKSHOPPED20

6 August - 30 September 2020

Australian Design Centre presents the 20th anniversary exhibition of the design industry’s much anticipated annual program WORKSHOPPED20 - the very best in new Australian design by emerging and established designers. 

Made / Worn

ADC On Tour 2020-2023

Celebrating diversity and inclusivity, Made / Worn: Australian Contemporary Jewellery includes the work of 22 artists working in contemporary jewellery in Australia today.

Open House: Tamworth Textile Triennial

9 June - 29 July 2020

This exhibition features the work of contemporary artists in fibre textile arts from across Australia, a snapshot of current and future practice

Prue Venables

ADC On Tour 2019-2023

Acclaimed ceramicist Prue Venables is the ninth artist in the Australian Design Centres series Living Treasures: Masters of Australian Craft. Prue's sculptural artwork possess clarity, luminosity and a quiet beauty.

CONCRETE: art design architecture

31 January - 18 March 2020

This exhibition explores innovative and outstanding ways that concrete is being used by Australian artists, designers and architects in the 21st century.

Designing Bright Futures

21 November 2019 - 22 January 2020

Designing Bright Futures 2019 presents exciting new work by emerging design practitioners and a selection of designers from previous years to see what they have been up to post-university. 

Response

3 October - 13 November 2019

Response – Small Tapestries from the Australian Tapestry Workshop showcases a diverse range of interpretive responses by ATW studio weavers to designs by contemporary Australian artists including Arlene Textaqueen, Rhett D’Costa, Irene Barberis, Andrew Cooks, Judi Singleton and Jon Cattapan.

Profile 2019

3 October - 13 November 2019

Profile 2019 is the shortlist exhibition of the JMGA-NSW Biennial Curated Award for Jewellery, Objects and Metalsmithing.

GIANTS

1 August - 25 September 2019

GIANTS is a feminist exploration of dress and adornment.

WORKSHOPPED19

14 June to 24 July 2019

WORKSHOPPED19 showcases the very best in Australian design by emerging and established designers. 

Island Welcome

11 April - 5 June 2019

Island Welcome is a group exhibition exploring contemporary jewellery as a gesture of welcome. Inspired by the welcome garlands of many traditional island cultures, a group of contemporary jewellers have made a neckpiece, lei or garland interpreting the theme of welcome and considering current Australian immigration and refugee policy.

The Teapot Project

11 April - 5 June 2019

The Teapot Projectis a unique collaboration between master gold and silversmith Hendrik Forster and object maker and designer Kenny Son.

STEEL: art design architecture

1 February - 3 April 2019

STEEL: art design architecture is a major JamFactory touring exhibition exploring innovative ways that steel is being used by artists, designers and architects in Australia in the 21st century. The exhibitors represent a broad range of approaches to working with steel – from fine, hand-crafted jewellery to high-tech research facilities.

Designing Bright Futures

22 November 2018 - 23 January 2019

Designing Bright Futures presents exciting new work by twelve emerging design practitionersSpanning jewellery, textiles, graphics, object, interactive and spatial design these new designers consider social and environmental impacts and speak to their vision of what it means to be a designer today.  

In These HANDS: Mara nyangangka

5 October – 14 November 2018

Sturt Gallery and Ernabella Arts present In These HANDS: Mara nyangangka, an exhibition of new paintings, ceramics, tjanpi weavings and punu from the artists of Ernabella, celebrating 70 years of Ernabella Arts.

Seed Stitch Contemporary Textile Awards

5 October – 14 November 2018

The Seed Stitch Contemporary Textile Awards 2018, presented by Australian Design Centre in partnership with the Seed Stitch Collective, attracted over 95 entries. The award is an open call-out to contemporary artists working with textiles across many genres.


Urban Decay: Joshua Smith

2 August – 26 September 2018

Miniaturist and artist Joshua Smith’s intricately detailed models of overlooked Sydney buildings celebrate the beauty of urban grime, rust, decay and graffiti.

Painting with Thread

2 August – 26 September 2018

Painting with Thread is an exhibition of recent tapestries and samples from the collection of the Australian Tapestry Workshop, Melbourne (ATW). Founded in 1976, the ATW is recognised as an international leader in the production of hand-woven tapestries and is the only workshop of its kind in Australia.

Shapeshifters

What if 3D printing gave you the ability to design your own life? With clothes being printed from desktop computers and organs being manufactured in labs, this rapidly evolving technology continues to revolutionise design as we know it.

WORKSHOPPED18

21 June – 25 July 2018

WORKSHOPPED18 showcases the very best in new Australian design by emerging and established designers. It follows the work of 40+ designers through concept, meaning, materiality, manufacture and resolution.


Let's Tea Party

31 May – 13 June 2018

Let’s Tea Party: Taiwan Design Now brings together the work of 17 exhibitors, designers and brands in a showcase of Taiwanese design at the Australian Design Centre in Sydney.


Porosity Kabari

5 April – 23 May 2018

Made from materials and craftsmanship sourced solely from the ‘Chor Bazaar’ (thieves market) and ‘Kabari Bazaars’ (junk markets) in Mumbai, India, the works in this exhibition are the result of an interdisciplinary, cross-cultural, collaborative project by Australian object designer Trent Jansen, artist/architect Richard Goodwin and Indian design thinker Ishan Khosla.

Interpretations V

5 April – 23 May 2018

Interpretations V explores the material limits of paper (cellulose) – a challenging but incredibly rich material. Each designer has cut, folded, formed, stitched, moulded (as pulp) or laminated paper, transforming an everyday, inexpensive, two-dimensional material into a three-dimensional work of experimental design.


Obsessed: Compelled to make

ADC On Tour 2018 -2022

Obsessed: Compelled to make presents the work of 15 artists from across Australia, delving beyond the finished object, beyond the personality of the maker, into the fundamental conceptual framework of their creations.

Future Artefacts

8 February - 24 March 2018

Future Artefacts is the culmination of a seven-year collaboration between conceptual designers Alexi Freeman and Tessa Blazey, and an unveiling of new collaborations with photographer Jane Burton, sculptor Kate Rohde, and composer Byron Meyer.

Designing Bright Futures

23 November - 31 January 2018

Designing Bright Futures surveys twelve selected Bachelor and Masters of Design students graduating from UNSW Art & Design in the disciplines of jewellery, textile, graphic, object, interactive and spatial design. 

Stitchfield 2017

30 November 2017 - 31 January 2018

Stitchfield was designed by Elliat Rich and Claire Scorpo in collaboration for Design Tasmania, Women in Design 2016. The circular components, and the possibilities of endless formations celebrate the often undervalued ‘Knitting Circle’ and similar maker gatherings; sites of knowledge transfer, collaboration and innovation.

Biotextilogy

6 October –  15 November 2017

Renaissance engineer Professor Melissa Knothe Tate turns art and science on their heads. This transdisciplinary, interactive exhibition presents her multifunctional textiles and smart materials inspired by nature, tying together the fields of biotechnology and textile design on "The Cellular Catwalk."

Bulay(i)

6 October - 15 November 2017

The exhibition Bulay(i): Buku-Larrnggay Mulka Artists with Indigenous Jewellery Project features 40 Yolŋu jewellers from Buku-Larrnggay Mulka who participated in the workshops with the Indigenous Jewellery Project over 2016 and early 2017.

FRACTURE: DIFFERENCES

17 August - 27 September 2017

The exhibition FRACTURE: DIFFERENCES is a visual conversation between architectural photographer Shannon McGrath and digital craftsperson Marcus Piper that explores the interplay of light in abstract spatial environments.

Green Asylum

17 August - 27 September 2017

Green Asylum is a large-scale experimental textile and video installation that blurs the boundaries between tapestry weaving and architecture, landscape and language by multi-disciplinary creative Charlotte Haywood.

LOCAL MILAN

15 June – 9 August 2017

During this year’s Milan Design Week LOCAL DESIGN transformed the historic Oratorio della Passione at Piazza Sant’Ambrogio into a strong stylish statement for a range of eleven Australian designers. On returning to Australia LOCAL DESIGN is showcasing LOCAL MILAN within the Australian Design Centre.

Chili Philly

2 February - 29 March 2017

Chili Philly: Crochet Social, the first major solo exhibition of crochet wearable art by Melbourne-based artist Phil Ferguson.

Annie Gobel

2 February - 29 March 2017

In our first collaboration with 4A Centre for Contemporary Asian Art we are pleased to present Indonesian-born, Melbourne-based jeweller Annie Gobel.

Designing Bright Futures

1 December 2016 - 25 January 2017

Designing Bright Futures: Selected UNSW A&D Design Graduates is a satellite of the Annual 16 and an exhibition partnership between Australian Design Centre and UNSW Art & Design - a celebration of optimism, ideas and ambitions.

Indigenous Design

29 September - 23 November 2016

Australian Design Centre is delighted to present an exhibition of work by Nicole Monks and Lucy Simpson, the two recipients of the Arts NSW Indigenous Design Mentorship 2016.


Cloth: From Seeds to Bloom

Touring 9 October 2015 - 30 April 2017

Cloth: Seeds to Bloom traces 20 years of one of Australia's most influential textile designers and dynamic creative forces, Julie Paterson. Drawing inspiration from the Australian bush, British-born Paterson's stunning fabrics are a riot of colour, floral forms, and patterns.

Clay Intersections Clay Communities

28 July – 21 September 2016

ADC presents Clay Intersections: an exhibition exploring new and varied approaches to making and working with clay. Featuring the work of Bridget Bodenham, Cone 11's Colin Hopkins and Ilona Topolcsanyi, Helen Earl, Tania Rollond, Natalie Rosin, Ulrica Trulsson and Kenji Uranishi - experience a new generation of makers.

Clay Intersections

ADC On Tour 2016 -2020

Clay Intersections presents the work of Bridget Bodenham, Cone 11's Colin Hopkins and Ilona Topolcsanyi, Helen Earl, Tania Rollond, Natalie Rosin, Ulrica Trulsson and Kenji Uranishi. The exhibition explores varied approaches to craft and the artists’ motivations and inspirations. The work has a strong relationship to the built or natural environment, sometimes as a contemplation and sometimes in a practical sense – enhancing to the way we live.

Object Therapy

ADC On Tour 2016 - 2019

29 broken objects, submitted by the public, have been ‘repaired’ and re-imagined by noted Australian and international designers and artists including Daniel Emma, Henry Wilson and Trent Jansen.

Co-Designing Wearable Health Technologies

14 April 2016

Leah Heiss & hearing expert Elaine Saunders create an innovated co-design workshop to engage people with designing technologies for health and wellbeing.

CUSP

2 February - 28 April 2016

CUSP: Designing into the Next Decade presents the future through five designers working on the cusp of what is possible.

Scented Intoxication: Reimagined

3 March - 15 April 2016

Following on from the success of 2015’s Scented Intoxication at Australian Design Centre, Lyn Balzer and Tony Perkins will launch a collection of their works at the Chippendale Creative Precinct to celebrate Art Month in March.

Marie Hagerty & Robert Foster

3 March - 29 April 2016

Bringing together art and design in conceptual object-making form, Marie Hagerty and Robert Foster will be presenting their works in Sydney for the first time and we are proud to present them at our Australian Design Centre gallery as part of Art Month.

Migrations

4 January - 27 February 2016

International textiles exhibition Migrations to open at the Australian Design Centre in January 2016, which explores the notion of textiles as carriers of multiple cultural influences.


Scented Intoxication

15 October - 18 December 2015

Known for their multi-disciplinary explorations of photography, object design and jewellery, Lyn Balzer and Tony Perkins will exhibit all disciplines of their work in one space at Australian Design Centre, launching October 2015.

Future Nature

28 August - 16 October 2015

In collaboration with the Australian Museum, Future Nature explores possible futures through the eyes of artists, designers and architects inspired by biology and the natural world. Mapping the collisions of art, science, and design, the exhibition explores the roots of scientific curiosity.

Eggpicnic & Justin Cawley

From 26 May at the Australian Design Centre, designers-in-residence, Eggpicnic and Justin Cawley will share their creative process with the public in the lead up to the exhibition launch. Over a three-month period, each designer has been visiting the Australian Museum and drawing inspiration from the priceless collections hidden within.

WOOD: art design architecture

18 October - 29 November 2014

The touring exhibition WOOD: art design architecture is making its way to Sydney ­appearing at ADC from 18 October until 29 November 2014. In celebration of our final program at St Margaret's ahead of our move into the William Street Creative Hub, the exhibition will be complemented by a stellar line ­up of public programs.

Resolved: Journeys in Australian Design

4 April - 22 June 2014

Presented in collaboration with Workshopped, Resolved: Journeys in Australian Design brings to life the stories that a completed product does not reveal, taking you on the designer’s journey and allowing you to experience the process and act of design.

New Weave

6 February – 29 March 2014

New Weave pushes the boundaries of the woven form: artists and designers re-appropriating traditional weaving techniques, using different materials to create intricate and striking wearables, objects and installations.

CUSP: Designing into the Next Decade

6 July - 1 September 2013

CUSP features the work of twelve very different designers, each developing creative solutions to some of the big challenges we are facing today and into the next decade. Working at the edge of what is possible, these designers are exploring new and innovative territory in their practice.

2nd International Triennale of Craft

3 - 29 August 2013

Australian Design Centre was invited to curate the Australian inclusion at the 2nd International Triennale of Craft: The Arts - Grounded in Region at the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art in Kanazawa, Japan. 36 works of contemporary craft by 20 Indigenous Australian craft practitioners were selected to represent Australia.

Women with Clever Hands

30 March — 9 June 2012

Women with Clever Hands: Gapuwiyak Miyalkurruwurr Gong Djambatjmala is an exhibition of the fibre work made by women from Gapuwiyak in Arnhem Land.

HYPERCLAY: Contemporary Ceramics

8 October 2011 - 8 January 2012

A provocative and engaging exhibition of work by Australian artists using clay in unexpected and surprising ways, HYPERCLAY: Contemporary Ceramics highlights the versatility of this time-honoured material and, in doing so, re-imagines its possibilities. 

Now and When: Australian Urbanism

2 July – 25 September 2011

This collection of dramatic urban visions exhibited at the 12th International Architecture Biennale in Venice was seen in Sydney for the first time when Now And When: Australian Urbanism opened.

Menagerie: Contemporary Indigenous Sculpture

5 September – 15 November 2009

Menagerie: Contemporary Indigenous Sculpture is a unique and groundbreaking exhibition that exposes the richness and breadth of contemporary Indigenous sculpture in Australia. 

Design Now!

22 May – 1 July 2008

Design Now! presents a selection of works by 18 outstanding university graduates across applied art and design courses nationwide. This exhibition features three impressive graduates in each of six new categories, representing the breadth and diversity of design education in Australian universities today.

Frost*bite

7 January – 12 March 2006

A multi-disciplinary project that explored contemporary design through the eyes of one of the world’s leading graphic designers Vince Frost.

Dinosaur Designs

13 December 2002 - 16 March 2003

This major survey exhibition, developed by Object as part of the 2003 Sydney Festival, provides the first comprehensive overview of the distinctive jewellery and homewares of Dinosaur Designs. 

Australian Design Honours

Recognising the leading lights of Australian designers, thinkers, and makers, the Australian Design Honours is a growing resource dedicated to promoting and advocating for Australian design on the world stage.