Exhibition: Australian Design Centre
‘Marlu’ was inspired by a trip back on country, visiting Nicole's 93-year-old ‘auntie’ Dora Dann and reminiscing about Dora’s childhood including Nicole's great-grandmother’s renowned kangaroo tail stew.
Meaning kangaroo, ‘marlu’ tells the story of this lived experience through a collection of furniture pieces: ‘wabarn-wabarn’ (bounce), ‘walarnu’ (boomerang) and ‘nyinajimanha’ (sitting together). For Nicole, ‘marlu’ represents the importance of knowledge transfer and the role of memory and lived experience in this process.
The furniture collection is characterised by seamless joins, simplified lines, forms and a minimalist style. All works are customized and made to order, promoting sustainable practice and mindful consumption that reflects a caring for country.
Monks is a recipient of the Arts NSW Indigenous Design Mentorship 2016 and over a 12-month program has developed the ‘marlu’ collection under the mentorship of Top3 by Design founder Terri Winter.
Photo credit: Boaz Nothman