david trubridge
and essenze

new zealand design -- a joint, two-part exhibition, april 2008

spazio goradesky, via forcella 7

zona tortona, milano
1 spiral islands by david trubridge
delicate cloud forms float over, and mirror, island seat forms below, like the puffy white
clouds that sit over the many islands scattered across the vast pacific ocean.
aotearoa, the maori name for new zealand, means ʻland of the long white cloudʼ.
what are the basic building blocks of nature?
how do these re-appear at different scales?
how can a designer use the same starting point to create a wide variety of objects?
in how many ways can a single spiral line be used?
spiral islands is an installation that provides some answers to these questions, with all new work exhibited for the very first time.
spirals included in the presentation are:
‣ carved wooden pebble bowls in bamboo
‣ semi-upholstered seat form islands
‣ cloud form lights
‣ fashion clothing by the nz label untouched world

david trubridge
david is best known in europe for his ʻraftʼ designs, one of which, ʻbody raftʼ is manufactured by cappellini, and another, ʻslingʼ, by boffi. more recently he has gained a lot of attention for his delicate, patterned wooden light shades, some of which, like ʻcoralʼ are sold as kit set for home assembly. these are all made by his own new zealand production company, david trubridge ltd. they are not a shade in a conventional sense but instead create beautiful shadow patterns, along with the warm
glow of light passing through the thin wood. in 2006 the french editors of elle déco magazine named these the best lighting of the year. he also teaches at the vitra design museum summer school in france. he has exhibited in milan since 2001, and in new york during icff since 2004.
the designs are developed from davidʼs love of nature and wilderness and echo the patterns of nature that repeat themselves through different levels of scale. in recent years he has walked in the mountains of antarctica (where he was an antarctica new zealand arts fellow), iceland, corsica, yosemite and new zealand. these wild places have a deep influence on his work.
an equally important aspect of the work is sustainability. david believes that designers should bear full responsibility for the things they create. he makes every effort for his design and production to be as sustainable and non-polluting as possible. new zealand is more able to do this than most countries with nearly 70% of its electricity generated from renewable resources.

SeaT, essenze with david trubridge
ʻessenzeʼ, the New Zealand design house representing New Zealandʼs top designers, in collaboration with David Trubridge, will preview the ʻSeaTʼ project at Spazio Goradesky. SeaT, under the artistic direction of David Trubridge with marketing by essenze, brings together designers working in different media to work collaboratively from the same starting brief.
Based on the rituals of essential living, ʻSeaTʼ rethinks our living processes, and the very objects required for them. The concept places an emphasis on social and group activities, healthy lifestyle and sustainable design – qualities that are synonymous with the New Zealand way of life. The underlying theme of ʻeating by the seaʼ creates the overall look and feel of the new collection, with future collections set to focus on ʻrestʼ, ʻbatheʼ and ʻplayʼ.
SeaT addresses sustainability in the design process, manufacturing, economics, human impact and environmental aspect of production and use.
Exhibiting ʻSeaTʼ for the first time, essenze founder and director, Clare Mora, said she
expects the collection to be well received in Milan. “New Zealand designers produce original and contemporary designs that are both distinct and organic in nature. In placing importance
in the objects used for a fundamental daily ritual like eating, you create an occasion which is memorable and embracing.”

essenze
New Zealand founded and based, essenze is the strategic business partner of choice for many of New Zealandʼs best designers. Currently working with over 35 designers, the essenze collection includes furniture, lighting, floor covering, objects and accessories for interior and exterior environments. essenze is responsible for the commercialization, global marketing, distribution and sales of these products.
essenze is partnering with Dutch Design Distribution to market and sell the essenze collection in Europe. Additionally, essenze distributes product through select USA retailers, and has showroom spaces in Brooklyn, New York and Miami, Florida, and will open its initial flagship retail store in Austin, Texas in June 2008. essenze will also be exhibiting at ICFF in New York in May 2008, and at 100%

Design in September, 2008.
For further information about essenze and its designers please contact
marketing@essenze.co.nz
or visit www.essenze.co.nz