Edward Linacre is an Industrial Designer, Maker, and Experimental Material Developer, who has gained recognition for his otherworldly, luminous creations and development of progressive biodegradable and recycled materials. His works delve into the realms of experience and human connection via the manipulation of light, form, material, and geometry. His portfolio spans a diverse array of mediums and environments, encompassing immersive installations, outdoor music festivals, public art spaces, nightclubs, cocktail bars, restaurants, workplaces, and residential spaces.
His Naarm / Melbourne based studio designs and manufactures a range of internationally award winning Australian made lighting, furniture and objects, takes on commissions for standalone artworks and installations, and develops products for clients in diverse industries.
Edward manages a concerning obsession with the emotional effect of light and the interconnectivity of natural and sacred geometries. He is intent on establishing a systems partnership with nature, inciting a bio-industrial revolution, and believes in the potential of waste as a commercially viable material source. It is not uncommon to find him changing over people's light bulbs or hoarding obscene amounts of hard rubbish. His creative journey spans both his design practice and artworks, where he explores the application of various sustainable mediums, including mycelium-based biomaterials and up-cycled waste products. He advocates for reshaping our perception of 'waste,' drawing inspiration from nature's closed-loop systems of production.
Edward is co-founder of co-working and creative community platform Mycelium Studios, and is passionately engaged in the support, development and growth of the creative industries. Collaboration is at the heart of of his creative process; it is reflected in the long-term partnerships he has with fabricators, master-craftspeople, manufacturers, design organisations, local councils, educational institutions, and other experimental artists and designers. He is continuously engaged in the education sector, having taught at both Swinburne and RMIT Universities, mentored interns and students into permanent design roles, and currently manages the Industry Partnership between RMIT and Mycelium Studios.
Edward graduated with First Class Honours in Industrial Design at Swinburne University, including study exchange at HAWK Hildesheim, Germany, where he won the university furniture prize under tutor Werner Sauer. Edward stayed on to live in Europe for almost 1.5 years, including a 6 month internship at German design studio Wiege Entwicklungsgesellschaft mbH; an experience he describes as severely formative. Upon his return to Australia, Edward received the Design Institute of Australia Graduate of the Year Award and the Global James Dyson Award for his thesis project; a drought response irrigation device. Edward worked in the Industrial Design industry for 4 years before launching his own studio and design partnership Copper Design, developing products for a range of clients including Sussex Tapware and Medical Developments International, where he co-authored eight US patents for Medical Device Designs. Edward began building illuminated sculptures in his garage workshop during university, works which now sit at the foundation of his internationally recognised practise. He has received numerous national and international awards (see CV below), including most recently winning the international LAMP Award - Professional Category, the Australian Interior Design Excellence Award - Object Category, and is a recipient of the DIA Designers Australia Awards - President's Medal for his contribution to the creative industries. He has completed major commissions for Australia’s top tier Architecture and Interior Design firms and is a three time international Design Delegate for the State of Victoria. Most recently Edward has been commissioned by Louis Vuitton Paris, and by the National Gallery of Victoria for their 10 year exhibition ‘Melbourne Now’.
Edward has exhibited throughout Australasia, Europe and the US over the past 10 years. His work has been acquired by notable public galleries / private collectors in Australia, the United States, Europe and Asia.
Exhibitions / Events
2023
Downtown Design, Dubai Design Week, Dubai, UAE: Brass Sun Launch
SILO, Melbourne Design Week
MATTERS, Melbourne Design Week
Melbourne Design Fair, Melbourne Design Week
IM-permanent, Melbourne Design Week
2022
Decontaminate the Discarded: Craft Contemporary
Biomateriality - Emerging Biobased materials in design and art @ Delmar Gallery, NSW: Toadstool
Everyday Australian Design @ Shepparton Arts Museum: Nest Pendant
AFDA @ Melbourne Design Week: Meteorite, with Danielle Brustman.
2021
By Product @ Melbourne Design Week by the NGV, Melbourne Australia.
Fringe Furniture, Designers on your Doorstep.
PLAY @ Design Tasmania by MONA FOMA, Launceston, Tasmania.
Clarence Prize, Rosny Barn, Tasmania.
2020
ICONIC - Australian Design, Design Tasmania.
Melbourne Pavillion online gallery with Creative Victoria, DesignInspire, Hong Kong.
Life and Death, Melbourne Design Week, Melbourne.
MycoDome, Melbourne Design Week, Melbourne.
2019
A.G.M - Friends & Associates, Meat Market.
100 Objects – Australian Design at Home, Robin Boyd Walsh St Residence.
LOCAL MILAN, Salone del Mobile, Milan.
2018
Denfair, Melbourne.
2017
Salone Satellite, Salone del Mobile, Milan.
Denfair, Melbourne.
2016
ARCHITECT@WORK, raumPROBE, VOLL.HOLZ, Copenhagen, Berlin, Stuttgart.
Denfair, Melbourne.
2015
In Ten Cities by Makatron - Book Launch. Melbourne.
Melbourne Movement, Salone Satellite, Salone del Mobile, Milan.
ARCHITECT@WORK, raumPROBE, VOLL.HOLZ, Düsseldorf.
2014
Object Gallery, Australian Design Centre: New Weave. Contemporary Approaches to the Traditions of Weaving, Sydney.
Temple & Webster Emerging Designer Award exhibition, Sydney.
2013
100% Design, London. Workshopped 13, Sydney.
The Edge@AIFF, Sydney. Salone Satellite, Salone del Mobile, Milan.
Design Made Trade, Melbourne.
Object Future, Melbourne.
DesignEx, Melbourne.
InDesign, Sydney.
2012
Designer Days, Paris. Vivid@Furnitex, Melbourne.
Workshopped 12, Sydney. Grand Designs Live, Melbourne.
Fringe Furniture, Melbourne.
2011
Design:Made:Trade, Melbourne. Australian International Design Award Exhibition Design:Made:Trade, Melbourne.
Motion:Emotion DIA Gallery, Melbourne.
2010
Cumulus Association 20th Anniversary International Student Exhibition, Shanghai. GOTYA DesignEx, Melbourne. ASDA@No Vacancy Gallery, Melbourne.
Awards / Recognition
2023
IDEA 2023: Lothain St Lighting - Highly Commended
New York Product Design Awards: Flask System - GOLD
Designer Australia Awards: Lothian St Lighting - Award of Merit
2022
Australian Furniture Design Award: Meteorite, with Danielle Brustman - Finalist
2021
IDEA Awards, Object Category - Winner
Vivid Design Awards, Australia - Judge
Designers Australia Awards, Australia- Presidents Award Winner
LIT Awards, International - Flask System - Winner
Clarence Prize, Sun Wall Sculpture Acquired into the Clarence Arts Collection.
INDE. Awards, Australia - Flask System, Finalist
Design Anthology Awards, International -Sun and Moon, Finalist
Designers Australia Awards, Mycelium Studios, Place Category - Award of Merit
2020
The Design Files Awards, Lighting category - Winner
LAMP International Lighting Competition, Professional category - Winner
LIT awards International Lighting Competition, Wall Sconce Category - Winner
Victorian Premier's Design Awards, Product Category - Flask System - Finalist
Darc Awards, International - Flask System - Finalist
2018
Design Delegate to Hong Kong Business of Design Week.
2017
Design Delegate to Hong Kong Business of Design Week.
2016
IES Lighting Awards, National - Judge
Design Delegate to Hong Kong Business of Design Week.
2015
Co-Author of 8 International Patents for Medical Device Designs
2014
Temple and Webster Emerging Designer Award - Winner
2013
Design Report Young Designer of the Year Award, Salone Satellite, Milan - Runner up
Artstart Grant, Australia Council for the Arts
&Tradition, Great Dane and DesignEx Northern Lights Competition - Finalist
Launchpad 2013 - Finalist
2012
eMagine inaugural 3d laser Sintering competition - Winner
Vivid@Furnitex - Commercial Category - Runner up
Vivid@Furnitex - Green Category - Runner up
2011
Global James Dyson Award - Winner
Australian Design Award - James Dyson Award - Highly Commended
ICSID World Impact Design Prize - Nominated by DIA
2010 Australasian Student Design Award - 3rd
DIA Vic/Tas Graduate of the Year Award - Winner
Cumulus Association 20th Anniversary International Student Competition - 3rd
2009 Steinhaimer Mobile Furniture Prize, Hawk Hildesheim FH, Germany - Winner
Commissions
2023
Design Wall Flask Lighting Installation: With Hassell, for NGV’s ‘Melbourne Now’ exhibition
Sun Wall Sculpture: For Louis Vuitton
Meteorite Custom LV: With Danielle Brustman for Louis Vuitton
Pinsent Masons Offices: with Bates Smart
Marta Figueiredo’s Public Art Sculpture ‘Diva’ - lighting design and animation: With Josh Paris Batty, for the Dorsett Hotel, Melbourne
2022
Meteorite: With Danielle Brustman for AFDA/NGV
2021
Roydhouse Clan House, Geelong, Victoria: Installation of Bespoke Nest pendants, and a Bespoke Flask Kinked Horizontal Chandelier
2020
Tidmarsh Hotel, Braidwood, NSW: Bespoke Triple Flask Half Sandblasted in aged bronzed brass
2019
Bill and Bee Pulver for Mona Farm, Braidwood, NSW: Four Bespoke Flask installations across the heritage listed property
Bar Carolina Group for Tetto Di Carolina: Tetto Signature Flask Chandelier and accompanying bespoke fittings, with Chris Connell
2018
Australian Government for the Australia High Commission, Nairobi, Kenya: Twin 1.5m height Bespoke Topaz Pendants in blackened brass
2016
Old Claire Hotel: Bespoke 1.5m Topaz Pendants in Blackened Brass for the heritage listed stairwell
Rossetti House: Bespoke Topaz Pendants in Blackened Brass - 500mm
2015
Fennel House: Bespoke 1.5m Topaz Pendant