HARD

HARD 2025 EOI OPEN NOW QUEER. INCLUSIVE. RESOURCEFUL. OPEN TO ALL MEDIUMS AND MAKERS WORLDWIDE EMAIL PROPOSALS TO [email protected] BY 13TH JAN

~400 visitors over 3 days for 13 new works by 14 makers - @hard.mdw continues to be so personally rewarding. Thank you to this year’s artists, to the queer community and Melbourne design community for your support. I’m so proud to have curated and presented the third annual edition of HARD, with the support of @christopherboots as part of @ngvmelbourne ’s Melbourne Design Week. @gendb @babydilfx @locki.humphrey @rascalmueller @via.imari @lucytolanartist @julianleighmay @raphyraphyraphy @drew__a @tay_haggarty @hichristophers @bobbycorica @jameslemon @possingham , thank you ❣️ For those still in town needing some respite from MDW - see you for @soft.mdw this coming weekend. #melbournedesignweek #hardmdw #ngv @ngvmelbourne 📸 @kaylamaypettykook

Tay Haggarty @tay_haggarty ‘Bend me over and trim my leaves’ stainless steel tube rod. 33cm x 52cm sculpture, 2024. ‘On all fours pulling weeds’ stainless steel sheet, eyebolts and globe light. 80cm x 52cm sculpture, 2024. ‘Cross pollination’ stainless steel tube rod, eyebolts, socks and singlet. 167cm x 49cm, sculpture, 2024. #melbournedesignweek #hardmdw #ngv @ngvmelbourne 📸 @kaylamaypettykook

Christopher Sherman (CA) @hichristophers Photographic prints #melbournedesignweek #hardmdw #ngv @ngvmelbourne 📸 @kaylamaypettykook

Gabe Woods by Emil Cañita Photographic print with text $1,600, 50% of proceeds donated to @para.foundation For sales DM or contact [email protected] #melbournedesignweek #hardmdw #ngv @ngvmelbourne 📸 @kaylamaypettykook

Finocchio Bags by Bobby Corica @bobbycorica Reclaimed/waste Florentine Suede, recycled 925 silver, Borosilicate glass $2,200 each Bio in third slide For sales DM or contact [email protected] #melbournedesignweek #hardmdw #ngv @ngvmelbourne 📸 @kaylamaypettykook

The Hand That Feeds You By Imari Calvert @via.imari 925. sterling silver, enamel, black steel, 6:08 video “This work is a meditation on the queerness I exclude from the narrative of my life, and the ways that void is filled.” ‘The Hand that Feeds You’ uses traditional silversmithing and enamelling techniques, paired with video montage, to contextualise a dialogue between abstinence and starvation, nourishment and consumption. Through hostile silverware and the homogenous preparation of food, viewers are invited to question the value of the tools in their lives, imparted on them through tradition. The accompanying film addresses intricate daily gestures of conformity, and how the watchful eye of heteronormativity imprints itself into private and public moments alike. “I don’t like baking; I don’t like apple pie. These are performances that do not serve me, but they exist to be witnessed all the same. There is a certain fracturing of the self that occurs, growing up queer. A hunger that isn’t met.” For sales DM or contact [email protected] #melbournedesignweek #hardmdw #ngv @ngvmelbourne 📸 @kaylamaypettykook

she goes to the park and looks for sticks by Lucy Tolan and Juliette Berkeley @lucytolanartist @juliette.berkeley Midfire clay, glaze, beeswax, scavenged sticks, wicks Candelabra $800 Candlestick for sticks $300 Candlestick for sticks $350 She wanders around the streets at 5 o’clock in the morning, searching for rocks, lightbulbs, knuckled branches. She tries not to step on the cracks in the pavement. She tries not to think about anything in particular. A seam is a break and a connection, all in one. Do you think that objects remember things? Would you consider candelabras to be gay? Don’t look at her like that. She’s being serious, we think. - For three months, Lucy and Jules went on long walks, picked up trash, and talked about love. The resulting works were an attempt to make something sensual out of rubbish. Lucy turned her trash into a series of ceramic candelabras. Each piece was cast from molds of textured rocks and found objects. She layered every piece by hand, cutting her trash-casts apart, re-assembling them into something new. Lucy always keeps her seams visible. Jules used a combination of latex and silicone molds to produce wax-based arrangements that utilise the textures and forms of scavenged sticks. They are barely functional, pretty phallic, and extremely flammable. For sales DM or contact [email protected] #melbournedesignweek #hardmdw #ngv @ngvmelbourne 📸 @kaylamaypettykook

Devil in a Cabinet by RAPHY @raphyraphyraphy Reclaimed stoneware, sink-sludge, recycled timber, steel chain $2,400 Inspired by medieval relics often found in monasteries, “Devil in a Cabinet” reimagines an ancient custom for the modern queer home. Historically, these cabinets held demonic figures allowing the faithful monks to spit or scratch the devil, externalising their struggles with sin. This piece transforms that tradition, making the devil a scapegoat for oppressive societal norms and evil gay thoughts. The cabinet becomes an essential design element in any queer person’s home, offering a safe space to confront internalised guilt and overly-horny ideas. For sales DM or contact [email protected] #melbournedesignweek #hardmdw #ngv @ngvmelbourne 📸 @kaylamaypettykook

LITHOS CANDLELABRA by Ryan Mueller @rascalmueller Sandstone, 8mm steel reinforcement bar, 13 beeswax candles SOLD $450 LITHOS 5-WAY TABLE LAMP Sandstone, 8mm steel reinforcement bar, bronze lighting component, woven electrical cord $1,600 LITHOS XL FLOOR LAMP Sandstone, 16mm steel reinforcement bar, bronze lighting component, woven electrical cord $2,400 For sales DM or contact [email protected] #melbournedesignweek #hardmdw #ngv @ngvmelbourne 📸 @kaylamaypettykook

Mantel Chair by Locki Humphrey @locki.humphrey Metal, reclaimed timber, dead stock @kvadrattextiles Maharam textile, reclaimed heritage floorboards, Danish cord $2,200 Pairing exaggerated proportions with sleek framework, Mantel is a concept chair which incorporates found and recycled materials to create a playful and cosy piece of designer furniture. This design takes a discreet approach to incorporating discarded materials whilst still acknowledging its garbage past. The initial design was inspired by a piece of metal I found on a kerbside in Coburg, which after sanding and painting became the chair legs. The internal seat structure is constructed from found and recycled timber and the body is upholstered in a Kvadrat Maharam textile made from post-consumer recycled PET; this fabric is factory deadstock generously donated by Zenith Interiors. The arms are made from reclaimed heritage timber floorboards found in hard rubbish, sanded and oiled to highlight years of embedded wear, and woven around the backrest is roughly 100m of Danish cord offcuts from my workshop. For sales DM or contact [email protected] #melbournedesignweek #hardmdw #ngv @ngvmelbourne 📸 @kaylamaypettykook

Closet by Genevieve Douglas-Byrnes @gendb Recycled HDPE, recycled Tasmanian Oak $6,800 ‘Closet’ is an exploration of the intricate journey through the lens of queer adolescence within the confines of a rural Victorian backdrop. This multifaceted piece transcends its physical manifestation, delving into the depths of personal evolution and self-discovery.   The impetus of this work lies in its process-driven narrative. The transformative power inherent in the reformation of commonplace substances parallels the artist’s journey of breaking free from the constraints of a predefined identity. The work is intended as a visual testament to the liberation of true self in the vast expanse of a newfound reality. The narrative of the artist’s teenage years unfold against the backdrop of a small town where the concept of safety for queer youth was scarce. They reflect on their own journey of choosing to remain in the shadows in fear of deviating from the societal mould. This struggle becomes the driving force of this design, shaping the artwork's thematic contours.   This work ultimately manifests as a reformed ideology, challenging the very construct many queer youth found themselves entangled in—the metaphorical closet. Through the deconstruction and transformation of post-consumer waste – in this case 3000 bottle tops saved from landfill – the work intends to breathe life into materials originally designed for singular purposes.   The once stifling existence of a confined identity evolves into a liberated and unapologetic expression, symbolizing the triumph of authenticity over societal constraints.   ‘Closet’ invites viewers to reflect on their own narratives, encouraging a collective celebration of diversity, resilience, and the beauty that emerges from the act of breaking free of societal expectations. For sales DM or contact [email protected] #melbournedesignweek #hardmdw #ngv @ngvmelbourne 📸 @kaylamaypettykook