Biography
Laura McCusker is an international award winning furniture designer and maker based in Hobart, Tasmania.
Recently named one of the Faces of Design 2010, she has exhibited regularly over her career including at The Sydney Powerhouse Museum as a finalist in the Sydney Morning Herald’s Young Designer of the Year Award (2002), the winner of belle magazine’s inaugural New Functional Design Award (2003) and at the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery as part of the City of Hobart Art Prize (2004). In 2007 she received a personal invitation from Mathias Schwartz-Clauss, Curator of the Vitra Design Museum, to a tour of the museum’s collection and manufacturing facilities in Switzerland and to participate in a 2009 Vitra Design Workshop at Domaine de Boisbuchet in France. This opportunity was assisted through Arts Tasmania by the Minister for the Environment, Parks, Heritage and the Arts.
Her work is described as ‘exceptional’ by Tyler Brule; McCusker’s pieces have featured regularly in Australian and international interior design publications including The Financial Times (UK & Asia), Vogue Living, Object Magazine, Australian Style, Belle, Craft Arts International, Inside Out and the Australian Financial Review. In 2003, she was the subject of an episode of ABC TV’s ‘Designers’ series focusing on her studio work.
McCusker has taught Design and Contemporary Art and Craft at university, TAFE and secondary school levels, completing her Bachelor of Adult and Vocational Education at the University of Tasmania in 2008, and enjoys the benefits of combining her professional practice as an artist with her passion for teaching design and manufacture.
Recently named one of the Faces of Design 2010, she has exhibited regularly over her career including at The Sydney Powerhouse Museum as a finalist in the Sydney Morning Herald’s Young Designer of the Year Award (2002), the winner of belle magazine’s inaugural New Functional Design Award (2003) and at the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery as part of the City of Hobart Art Prize (2004). In 2007 she received a personal invitation from Mathias Schwartz-Clauss, Curator of the Vitra Design Museum, to a tour of the museum’s collection and manufacturing facilities in Switzerland and to participate in a 2009 Vitra Design Workshop at Domaine de Boisbuchet in France. This opportunity was assisted through Arts Tasmania by the Minister for the Environment, Parks, Heritage and the Arts.
Her work is described as ‘exceptional’ by Tyler Brule; McCusker’s pieces have featured regularly in Australian and international interior design publications including The Financial Times (UK & Asia), Vogue Living, Object Magazine, Australian Style, Belle, Craft Arts International, Inside Out and the Australian Financial Review. In 2003, she was the subject of an episode of ABC TV’s ‘Designers’ series focusing on her studio work.
McCusker has taught Design and Contemporary Art and Craft at university, TAFE and secondary school levels, completing her Bachelor of Adult and Vocational Education at the University of Tasmania in 2008, and enjoys the benefits of combining her professional practice as an artist with her passion for teaching design and manufacture.
Selected Publications & Broadcasts
2009 The Sydney Morning Herald - December 5, 2009
The Australian Financial Review Magazine - Life & Leisure Luxury November 09
2006 Australian House & Garden May 06
2005 Australian Wood Review Issue 48
The Australian Financial Review - Interiors
2004 VOGUE LIVING Apartments 2004 Special Issue
Object Issue 44
Financial Review (UK & Asia), Tyler Brûlé - Fast Lane March 27/28
2003 Artichoke Interior Architecture and Design 05/vol 02
The Australian Financial Review Magazine - Design Issue November 03
Lino Issue No.2
Australian Style Autumn Quarterly Issue 67
Belle August/September, June/July & April/May
702 ABC Sydney Radio Weekends with Simon Marnie June 15
ABC TV (Education) - ‘Designers’ August & November
2002 Belle Collectors’ Edition December/January 02/03
Donna Hay Magazine Spring Issue 5
Sydney Weekly Courier August 6
The Sun-Herald Sunday Metro June 13
Domain Sydney Morning Herald June 13 -19
2001 Inside Out June Issue 13
Inside Out March Issue 10
Australian Wood Review Issue 30
2000 Metropolitan Sydney Morning Herald November 4
Domain Sydney Morning Herald October 26
Greenhouse Living March
‘Our House’ Channel 9 February
‘Craft Arts’ International Issue 47
1999 Australian Wood Review Issue 24
House & Garden October
Domain Sydney Morning Herald September 9
Smarts Issue 18 June
Object Issue 2
The Australian Financial Review Magazine - Life & Leisure Luxury November 09
2006 Australian House & Garden May 06
2005 Australian Wood Review Issue 48
The Australian Financial Review - Interiors
2004 VOGUE LIVING Apartments 2004 Special Issue
Object Issue 44
Financial Review (UK & Asia), Tyler Brûlé - Fast Lane March 27/28
2003 Artichoke Interior Architecture and Design 05/vol 02
The Australian Financial Review Magazine - Design Issue November 03
Lino Issue No.2
Australian Style Autumn Quarterly Issue 67
Belle August/September, June/July & April/May
702 ABC Sydney Radio Weekends with Simon Marnie June 15
ABC TV (Education) - ‘Designers’ August & November
2002 Belle Collectors’ Edition December/January 02/03
Donna Hay Magazine Spring Issue 5
Sydney Weekly Courier August 6
The Sun-Herald Sunday Metro June 13
Domain Sydney Morning Herald June 13 -19
2001 Inside Out June Issue 13
Inside Out March Issue 10
Australian Wood Review Issue 30
2000 Metropolitan Sydney Morning Herald November 4
Domain Sydney Morning Herald October 26
Greenhouse Living March
‘Our House’ Channel 9 February
‘Craft Arts’ International Issue 47
1999 Australian Wood Review Issue 24
House & Garden October
Domain Sydney Morning Herald September 9
Smarts Issue 18 June
Object Issue 2
Selected Exhibitions
2009
Splinter - An Exhibition of Contemporary Furniture and Objects
The Tin Sheds Gallery, Faculty of Architecture, Design and Planning, Chippendale NSW
2005
Different Readings – a contemporary interpretation of the Allport Furniture Collection Allport Library and Museum of Fine Arts, State Library of Tasmania, Hobart TAS
2004
City of Hobart Art Prize 2004 Freeman Gallery,
Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery, Hobart TAS
Show and Tell – Furniture Designers Association Annual Exhibition
Mawson’s Place, Hobart &The Design Centre, Launceston TAS
2003
belle New Functional Design Award Installation in conjunction with
Chee Soon & Fitzgerald Artspace, Woolloomooloo NSW
2002
Surfaced – Furniture and Objects Sturt Gallery Mittagong NSW
2001
SMH Young Designer of the Year - Finalist Exhibition
Powerhouse Museum Sydney NSW
Objectives - An Exhibition of Contemporary Design from Splinter Workshop Canberra School of Art Canberra ACT
Defining the Object III Quadrivium Gallery Sydney NSW
1999
10x2 Splinter Workshop Exhibition Grace Bros City Store Sydney NSW
x10 Splinter Workshop Exhibition Sturt Gallery, Mittagong NSW
1998
Sturt School for Wood Graduate Exhibition, Sturt Gallery, Mittagong NSW
Splinter - An Exhibition of Contemporary Furniture and Objects
The Tin Sheds Gallery, Faculty of Architecture, Design and Planning, Chippendale NSW
2005
Different Readings – a contemporary interpretation of the Allport Furniture Collection Allport Library and Museum of Fine Arts, State Library of Tasmania, Hobart TAS
2004
City of Hobart Art Prize 2004 Freeman Gallery,
Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery, Hobart TAS
Show and Tell – Furniture Designers Association Annual Exhibition
Mawson’s Place, Hobart &The Design Centre, Launceston TAS
2003
belle New Functional Design Award Installation in conjunction with
Chee Soon & Fitzgerald Artspace, Woolloomooloo NSW
2002
Surfaced – Furniture and Objects Sturt Gallery Mittagong NSW
2001
SMH Young Designer of the Year - Finalist Exhibition
Powerhouse Museum Sydney NSW
Objectives - An Exhibition of Contemporary Design from Splinter Workshop Canberra School of Art Canberra ACT
Defining the Object III Quadrivium Gallery Sydney NSW
1999
10x2 Splinter Workshop Exhibition Grace Bros City Store Sydney NSW
x10 Splinter Workshop Exhibition Sturt Gallery, Mittagong NSW
1998
Sturt School for Wood Graduate Exhibition, Sturt Gallery, Mittagong NSW
Grants & Awards
2009 Dean's Roll of Excellence (Faculty of Education)
Hydro Tasmania Vocational & Adult Learning Prize
(Awarded for the highest academic achievement in Bachelor of Adult and Vocational Education 2008)
2008 Arts Tasmania Grant (Visual Arts and Crafts)
- Vitra Design Workshop (France) and
- Vitra Museum (Switzerland)
2003 belle New Functional Design Award - Winner
2003 Bombay Sapphire Design Discovery Awards – second round finalist
2002 Sydney Morning Herald Young Designer of the Year - Finalist
2000 Craft Mark Accreditation
2000 Craft Australia Selection for the Craft @ Work Project
1999 Business of the Month April 1999 Cooks River Environmental
Assessment & Education Project.
1999 NAVA Marketing Grant - Splinter x10 Exhibition
Hydro Tasmania Vocational & Adult Learning Prize
(Awarded for the highest academic achievement in Bachelor of Adult and Vocational Education 2008)
2008 Arts Tasmania Grant (Visual Arts and Crafts)
- Vitra Design Workshop (France) and
- Vitra Museum (Switzerland)
2003 belle New Functional Design Award - Winner
2003 Bombay Sapphire Design Discovery Awards – second round finalist
2002 Sydney Morning Herald Young Designer of the Year - Finalist
2000 Craft Mark Accreditation
2000 Craft Australia Selection for the Craft @ Work Project
1999 Business of the Month April 1999 Cooks River Environmental
Assessment & Education Project.
1999 NAVA Marketing Grant - Splinter x10 Exhibition
