Amy's Fred Ward Chair and Cabinet

As the heritage officer at the Australian National University (ANU), Amy manages a valuable collection of historic furniture. The bed head and chair were originally designed in the 1950s by Fred Ward, a pioneer of 20th century Australian furniture design, for University House at ANU and were used in the bedroom and common spaces. The objects have been made using traditional joinery techniques with solid Australian timber. The pieces have stood up to 50 years of institutional use and while damaged, the breaks have occurred in repairable areas highlighting the durability and reparability of the pieces.

Repairer Niklavs Rubenis simply used one piece to x the other and refers to the work as a 'glitch'.

Design Repairer: Niklavs Rubenis

Canberra based, Niklavs is a lecturer at the School of Art, Australian National University, and has been professionally employed across many aspects of the furniture and design sectors. This has included high scale manufacture; computer aided design and computer aided manufacture; computer numeric control and laser technology; commercial cabinetry; production and furniture making; shop fit-out; exhibition design; project and design management; public art; urban design; musical instrument making and teaching at community, trade and university levels. Niklavs also maintains an active and varied studio practice comprising of national and international exhibitions, and private and commercial commissions including furniture and objects, lighting installations, window displays, design-construct shop fit-outs, signage and interpretive design.

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Amy’s Fred Ward Chair and Cabinet. Repaired by Niklavs Rubenis. Photos by Lee Grant. Image copyright Hotel Hotel.