Peter King

Westwood | Kawakubo places two of fashion's most radical voices side by side, translating the idea of similarity and difference into a sequence of immersive, distinct galleries. The spatial design is built on paired elements and deliberate misalignment, guiding visitors through a sequence of rooms inspired by the human body, in a journey as carefully crafted as the work it houses. Westwood | Kawakubo Designed by @studiopeterking in collaboration with @ngvmelbourne Photography by @seanfennessy 2026 Shortlist for Installation Design The Installation Design category is proudly supported by @nightworksstudio For the full list of 2026 shortlisted projects and to buy tickets to the gala dinner, visit the links in our bio. #aida #australianinteriordesign #australianinteriordesignawards #designawards @design_institute_au @interiors__au

Today is the final day of DISTRACTION at @scigallerymel . It was great to collaborate with the Science Gallery team including curator @berntfigs and producer @coodyjadee on this playful exhibition. And also great to close on the news that DISTRACTION has been shortlisted in the @auinteriordesignawards Installation category! Next week we begin the deinstall of DISTRACTION and the installation of EMERGENCE(Y) — the next exhibition curated by @tillyboleyn . Looking forward to sharing the design of this next show when it opens soon. Client: @scigallerymel Curated by: @berntfigs Exhibition design by: @studiopeterking in collaboration with @__mono.studio__ Graphic Design: @io_design_company Produced by: @coodyjadee Build: @rightside_melbourne , @synthesis_designbuild , @tetrik.official , @reveal_productions Graphics: @decentlyexposed , @imagebox_group Photography by Astrid Mulder courtesy of Science Gallery Melbourne

The heart room is the emotional centre of Westwood | Kawakubo. A small, intensely saturated red space, it brings together works by both designers united by a shared fascination with historical silhouette. Traced across the ceiling is a geometric lighting design conceived from an intersecting heart and cross — inspired by the insignias of both design houses. Developed by the lighting team at @ngvmelbourne and fabricated by @seanandhorn , it pulses with a heartbeat in sync with a bespoke video and audio environment developed by the NGV multimedia team and @michaelprior — building a dramatic score that makes this one of the most visceral rooms in the exhibition. I’m really pleased to share that Westwood | Kawakubo has been shortlisted in the Installation Design category of the Australian Interior Design Awards. Client: National Gallery of Victoria Designers: @viviennewestwood @commedesgarcons 
Curators: Katie Somerville, Danielle Whitfield, Meg Slater, Charlotte Botica and Coral Guan
Exhibition Design: @studiopeterking with @steph.yap.design and @__mono.studio__ 
Exhibition Identity: 3deepdesign
Multimedia and Lighting Design: @ngvmelbourne Lighting development and fabrication: @seanandhorn Build: @greenspec_events , @savio_projects , @higgins_coatings and @show_works_projects Signage: @decentlyexposed Paint: @duluxaus 
Photos courtesy of NGV by Sean Fenessy 
Design Illustrations by Studio Peter King and typographic design by Steph Yap Design

Another gallery in Westwood | Kawakubo takes its cue from a pair of eyes. Two semicircular rooms intersect at a shared threshold, creating a sequence of curved spaces that visitors move through as the exhibition unfolds. The first half presents works by both Westwood and Kawakubo, informed by their shared interest in tailoring—precise, structural, considered. A central dais is flanked by two ocular windows, each framing a singular work positioned like a sentinel looking over the main display. Between these two apertures, a bespoke video work developed by the multimedia team at @ngvmelbourne draws the eye inwards and down. The second room shifts register, presenting Westwood collections that explore a wider range of material techniques—from draping to slashing—contained within the same curved geometry. Client: National Gallery of Victoria Designers: @viviennewestwood @commedesgarcons 
Curators: Katie Somerville, Danielle Whitfield, Meg Slater, Charlotte Botica and Coral Guan
Exhibition Design: @studiopeterking with @steph.yap.design and @__mono.studio__ 
Exhibition Identity: 3deepdesign
Multimedia and Lighting Design: @ngvmelbourne Build: @greenspec_events , @savio_projects , @higgins_coatings and @show_works_projects Signage: @decentlyexposed Paint: @duluxaus 
Photos courtesy of NGV by Sean Fenessy 
Design Illustrations by Studio Peter King and typographic design by Steph Yap Design

Westwood | Kawakubo closes this weekend at @ngvmelbourne — and over the coming days I’ll be sharing a closer look at the thinking behind each gallery. The body is a key theme explored by the exhibition’s curators, and it also became a foundation for the scenographic design. Parts of the body that exhibit symmetry were adopted as metaphors for organising the galleries. The first room is inspired by the left and right hemispheres of the brain. Westwood’s earliest collections are explored on the left-hand side of the room, while on the right, more recent works conceived by Kawakubo unfold in parallel—ideas in tension, mirrored but not matched. Lightbulbs threaded through chains, ruptured walls and fractured surfaces speak to disruption, intellect and radical rethinking. Shout out to Aidan at @tetrik.studio for his fantastic work developing and fabricating the textile ceiling installation that defines this first space. Client: National Gallery of Victoria Designers: @viviennewestwood @commedesgarcons 
Curators: Katie Somerville, Danielle Whitfield, Meg Slater, Charlotte Botica and Coral Guan
Exhibition Design: @studiopeterking with @steph.yap.design and @__mono.studio__ 
Exhibition Identity: 3deepdesign
Multimedia and Lighting Design: @ngvmelbourne Build: @greenspec_events , @savio_projects , @higgins_coatings and @show_works_projects Textile installation: @tetrik.studio Signage: @decentlyexposed Paint: @duluxaus 
Photos courtesy of NGV by Sean Fenessy 
Design Illustrations by Studio Peter King and typographic design by Steph Yap Design

Thank you @architecture_au and @cassiehansen_ for inviting me to speak about the exhibition design for Westwood | Kawakubo @ngvmelbourne

Over the past twelve months, Studio Peter King has collaborated closely with the curators behind Westwood | Kawakubo—Katie Somerville and Danielle Whitfield—who developed the core premise for the exhibition. Vivienne Westwood and Rei Kawakubo share enough common ground to invite comparison, yet their approaches to design—and the fashion they create—are fundamentally distinct. The challenge was to design an exhibition that allowed for both of their unique expressions within a single, holistic framework. This tension became the conceptual backbone of the exhibition design through the idea of chirality: a property of objects that are similar, but cannot be perfectly mirrored. Like two hands—left and right—seemingly identical, yet structurally opposed. The spatial language of the exhibition unfolds from this principle: paired forms, near-symmetry, and subtle misalignment—echoing how these two designers move in parallel, but never in imitation. This early concept sketch represents a key part of the exhibition referred to as the ‘spine’—a central corridor flanked by rib-like columns that define a series of smaller galleries exploring different themes. This room, saturated in a fleshy purple, examines both designers’ intense fascination with the human body and how it interacts with clothing. Thank you Katie and Dani for engaging with me so a generously on this design journey. I’ve learned so much from you and the entire project team. Client: National Gallery of Victoria Designers: @viviennewestwood @commedesgarcons 
Curators: Katie Somerville, Danielle Whitfield, Meg Slater, Charlotte Botica and Coral Guan
Exhibition Design: @studiopeterking with @steph.yap.design and __mono.studio__
Exhibition Identity: 3deepdesign
Multimedia and Lighting Design: @ngvmelbourne Build: @greenspec_events , @savio_projects , @higgins_coatings and @show_works_projects Signage: @decentlyexposed Paint: @duluxaus 
Photos courtesy of NGV by Sean Fenessy 
Design Illustrations by Studio Peter King and typographic design by Steph Yap Design #exhibitiondesign #viviennewestwood #commedesgarçons

Westwood | Kawakubo is now open @ngvmelbourne — the exhibition that brings together two of the most influential designers of our time: Vivienne Westwood and Rei Kawakubo Studio Peter King was commissioned by the National Gallery of Victoria to design this world-premiere exhibition, extending NGV’s signature curatorial approach of presenting two creative practitioners side by side. This early concept sketch depicts the final room of the exhibition - inspired by a pair of hands offering up their work to the world. I’m deeply grateful to NGV for the opportunity to work on this project, and a big thank you to Tony, Andrew and Don, and the entire NGV team, for trusting me to design this exhibition. I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve made together and it’s a real pleasure to see visitors embracing the show now that it is open. Client: National Gallery of Victoria Designers: @viviennewestwood @commedesgarcons 
Curators: Katie Somerville, Danielle Whitfield, Meg Slater, Charlotte Botica and Coral Guan
Exhibition Design: @studiopeterking with @steph.yap.design and __mono.studio__
Exhibition Identity: 3deepdesign
Multimedia and Lighting Design: @ngvmelbourne Build: @greenspec_events , @savio_projects , @higgins_coatings and @show_works_projects Signage: @decentlyexposed #exhibitiondesign #fashionexhibition #ngv Paint: @duluxaus 
Photos courtesy of NGV by Sean Fenessy 
Design Illustrations by Studio Peter King and typographic design by Steph Yap Design

Studio Peter King collaborated with artist Scotty So to develop the richly detailed environment for ‘Case Study 2: Photography, archives and falling for fakes’ — including a bespoke wallpaper that wraps the perimeter of the room, printed and installed by @decentlyexposed . The artist envisaged a space that functioned as both studio and archive, leading to custom joinery by @prop__art that evokes a hybrid zone of display and storage. “Artist Scotty So playfully explores our natural inclination to conflate beauty with truth. In this installation he pairs historical photographs from the Library’s collection with his own images, costumes and objects, using humour and seduction to explore the notion of authenticity. Calling into question the reliability of photography and archives, from institutional collections to online sources, Scotty’s work poses the question: How will we interpret our past in the future, when we live in a world full of beautiful fakes?” Text and audio excerpt from the Make Believe microsite featuring @scotty.so Client: @library_vic Curated by: @mymirrortwin and @concrete.reservoir Artists: @coffinbirth @sofibasseghi @scotty.so and Professor Helen O’Connell AO, Dr Jennifer Hayes, @cliteratemodel Exhibition Spatial Design: @studiopeterking Exhibition Graphic Design: @u___p Digital experience design: @studio_regina and @jorge.j0rch Fabrication: @synthesis_designbuild , @uliks_furniture_ and @prop__art Painting: @flys_alone_painting Lighting: @megslighting Multimedia installation by Creative Technology Projects Mountmaker: @christianbishopstudio Signage: @decentlyexposed and @designtoprintinternational #SLVCollection #ExploreMelbourne #exhibitiondesign

Drawing on the depth of the State Library’s collection, this case study is densely layered with showcases and archival material. At the centre of the room sits the Cliterate model — presented in a deconstructed display with a custom mount fabricated by @christianbishopstudio . “For centuries, medical textbooks misrepresented the anatomy of the clitoris – until 1998, when local urologist Professor Helen O’Connell AO became the first person to accurately map this organ in full. Displayed alongside her groundbreaking research is the important work of Dr Jennifer Hayes and occupational therapist Anita Brown-Major, and rare medical textbooks from the Library’s collection. Together, they reveal how even in seemingly objective genres like anatomy, biases have contributed to misinformation, influencing both science and society.” Text and audio excerpt from the Make Believe microsite featuring Professor Helen O’Connell AO, Dr Jennifer Hayes and @cliteratemodel . Client: @library_vic Curated by: @mymirrortwin and @concrete.reservoir Artists: @coffinbirth @sofibasseghi @scotty.so and Professor Helen O’Connell AO, Dr Jennifer Hayes, @cliteratemodel Exhibition Spatial Design: @studiopeterking Exhibition Graphic Design: @u___p Digital experience design: @studio_regina and @jorge.j0rch Fabrication: @synthesis_designbuild , @uliks_furniture_ and @prop__art Painting: @flys_alone_painting Lighting: @megslighting Multimedia installation by Creative Technology Projects Mountmaker: @christianbishopstudio Signage: @decentlyexposed and @designtoprintinternational #libraryexhibition #ExhibitionDesign #SLV

Within ‘Make Believe’, each case study is treated as its own encounter — a carefully crafted room where curatorial framing, collection material and artistic response meet in a distinct and immersive way. The design of each of these rooms has been uniquely conceived to reinforce its narrative. In the room shown here, Charlotte Allingham’s murals becomes the environment itself, layered with items from the State Library’s collection. The curators explain: “Confronting the myth of terra nullius is central to all the work of Wiradjuri and Ngiyampaa artist Charlotte Allingham. In this series of illustrations and animations she responds to Shell Petroleum advertising materials from the Library’s collection, which depict an idyllic natural world untouched by Western industry. Challenging this selective framing of Country, Charlotte’s artwork highlights the environmental damage wrought by colonisation and industrialisation, and reaffirms First Nations peoples’ enduring connection to the land.” Text and audio excerpt from the Make Believe microsite featuring @coffinbirth . Client: @library_vic Curated by: @mymirrortwin and @concrete.reservoir Artists: @coffinbirth @sofibasseghi @scotty.so and Professor Helen O’Connell AO, Dr Jennifer Hayes, @cliteratemodel Exhibition Spatial Design: @studiopeterking Exhibition Graphic Design: @u___p Digital experience design: @studio_regina and @jorge.j0rch Fabrication: @synthesis_designbuild , @uliks_furniture_ and @prop__art Painting: @flys_alone_painting Lighting: @megslighting Multimedia installation by Creative Technology Projects Mountmaker: @christianbishopstudio Signage: @decentlyexposed and @designtoprintinternational #exhibition #ExhibitionDesign #statelibraryvictoria LibraryExhibition slv SLVCollection ExploreMelbourne

The central room of ‘Make Believe’ @library_vic is a liminal space that draws visitors into the exhibition. From here, four adjoining rooms unfold, each presenting a distinct case study and artist commission that approaches misinformation from a different perspective. One of these case studies — seen in this video — features the work of artist Sofi Basseghi, which the exhibition’s curators explain “...how censorship fuels misinformation and erases perspectives from history. Sofi’s research uncovers the role of Persian literature and poetry in preserving suppressed voices and experiences, particularly those of women. Responding to 16th-century Persian manuscripts and women’s poetry from the past one thousand years in the Library’s collection, her video work, Seven Portraits – Unbound, amplifies these voices and confronts their erasure.” Text and audio excerpt from the Make Believe microsite featuring @sofibasseghi Client: @library_vic Curated by: @mymirrortwin and @concrete.reservoir Artists: @coffinbirth @sofibasseghi @scotty.so and Professor Helen O’Connell AO, Dr Jennifer Hayes, @cliteratemodel Exhibition Spatial Design: @studiopeterking Exhibition Graphic Design: @u___p Digital experience design: @studio_regina and @jorge.j0rch Fabrication: @synthesis_designbuild , @uliks_furniture_ and @prop__art Painting: @flys_alone_painting Lighting: @megslighting Multimedia installation by Creative Technology Projects Mountmaker: @christianbishopstudio Signage: @decentlyexposed and @designtoprintinternational #exhibition #ExhibitionDesign #statelibraryvictoria LibraryExhibition slv SLVCollection ExploreMelbourne