Triple Win For Tongan Drum in NZ Student Craft/Design Awards

Triple Win For Contemporary Tongan Drum in 2017 ECC NZ Student Craft/Design Awards

Rachael Hall, a design graduate from Massey University Wellington, has just taken out the Supreme Award at this year’s ECC NZ Student Craft / Design Award with Patō a contemporary Tongan drum which brings the sound of the South Pacific into the modern digital environment. The judges commented that Halls work demonstrated superb craftsmanship, innovative and creative idea and attention to detail across all aspects of material use and construction. “The judges believed that this design is a complete product, ready to be manufactured” commented Heather Crichton, organizer of the awards. Hall also received the ECC Furniture and Product Design Award, and the People’s Choice Award, bringing her total prize money to $4,000.

30 years in the running, the ECC NZ Student Craft / Design Award encourages innovation and creativity and gives students the opportunity to step into creative industries with a coveted award to their name. The awards are run by the Friends of the Dowse. This year’s judges were: Anita Dykes (Design Consultant, ECC), Federico Monsalve, (Editor, Urbis) Ian Douglas (The Village Goldsmith), Johnathon Hall (Head Designer, Rembrandt) and Phil Bracen (Head Designer at phil&teds and Mountain Buggy).

Other winners on the night were Josh Bruderer from Massey University who won the ECC Lighting Award with io Lamp, an exquisitely crafted sophisticated interactive and well balanced lamp. A highly technically and delicate ceramics piece Cosmographicum by Jenny Ritchie from Christchurch Polytechnic Institute of Technology, came away with the Tuatara Ceramics Award, and also received a Highly Commended for her work Revolutionibus.

The Village Goldsmith Jewellery Award went to Meg van Hale from Dunedin School of Art at Otago Polytechnic for Bite the Hand, a unique ring which looks at climate warming and environmental affects by using gems on a crab’s exo-skeleton. The Rembrandt Fashion and Textile Award went to Greta Menzies from Massey University for her textile piece Conversational Skins which transforms into a garment of multiple uses. Highly Commended entries in the fashion and textile category also included Body for Gold by Izzy Buttle (Massey University) and ‘Ave a Fag by Hope Duncan of Dunedin School of Art at Otago Polytechnic which shares a strong message about the impact of smoking to those of us who are surrounded by it.

Highly Commended entries were awarded to Pare Chair by Glenn Catchpole (Massey University), Danza stool by group Michelle Pfeffer, Gwyn Jones, Briar Patel and Daniel Shorrock (Massey University), Coffee Table 65 by Daniel Cunliffe (Eastern Institute of Technology) who also received a Highly Commended in the ceramics category for his work Ceramic Collection, and Baby stool by group Charlotte Klinge, Oscar Jackson, Ng Qin Yu Shanelle (Massey University). Also Highly Commended in the Jewellery category were Sandstone by Jun Xie of Whitireia, I bet you cannot unknot this knot by Nikita Stevenson of Tai Poutini Polytechnic and Material Wealth by Samantha Lemon of Christchurch Polytechnic Institute of Technology.

The winning entries are currently on display at the ECC Wellington store from 3rd – 18 November.

ENDS

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