A&D ANNUAL 2021

Ailish Power

‘Dinnas Ready’ is a dining table adorned with engravings and tableware that aims to explore Australian identity through the parameters of object design. The research investigates Eurocentrism in Australian design within the context of inequality and explores the importance of cultural equality whilst acknowledging Australia’s cultural hybridity. The research is situated in the theoretical framework of discursive design in conjunction with a cultural-probe methodology to initiate thinking and engagement, stimulating reflection. The table is inspired by the designer's cultural background, traditional Irish ‘Famine’ chairs, and is representative of the European influence in Australia. The engravings and tableware are direct transformations from the drawing responses to the cultural-probe methodology. The engravings transposed handwriting and drawings from paper onto the tabletop, enacting the discursive design framework that advocates for design with meaning and connotation rather than functionality or aesthetics. There is an Australian First Nations presence in the research through the traditional First Nations wax finish (gifted to the designer by Anthony Hayward, Ngiyamapaa, Broken Hill, May 2021) paired with an Australian self-sourced clay representative both of the landscape and connection to Country.