Bark Sconce

For Melbourne Design Week 2026, Ruth Allen and Nicole Lawrence presented Shared Material Intelligence: Strengthening Melbourne’s Design Ecosystem — a live talk and discussion at rage.

Experimental approaches to lighting in high-end interior and architectural contexts are booming in Melbourne's design sector, with many designers turning to hot glass not only as a creative solution, but as a value system: one that places handmade as luxury. Given the limitations of outsourcing and automation, and the general malaise of AI's presence across every corner of creative and commercial life, we are seeing a strong and growing demand for this skillset.

Within this context, Ruth joined furniture and object designer Nicole Lawrence (Rigg Design Prize Finalist 2025) for a live hot glass demonstration and talk, tracing the evolution of two sculptural wall sconces – from design and production to resolved luminaires. Connecting with audiences in real time in the workshop, this event illuminated the possibilities of this material across interior and architectural design, while highlighting the many benefits of keeping product design local.

Live Talk & Demonstration with Nicole Lawrence
Photography by Fred Kroh