Hailing from a beachside suburb in Perth, Australia, Adam Goodrum grew up in a backyard making culture. He toyed with the idea of becoming an artist as a youngster, but soon enough embarked on a design career studying Industrial Design at the University of Technology (UTS) in Sydney.
”I loved art and mathematics in high school, and I think both of these are folded into furniture design: geometry creates form and art creates expression. Nowadays the line between art and design is increasingly blurred, my conceptual and creative role along with self-initiated as well as commissions work is reminiscent of art practice, while the response to a brief and how to include functional aspects is the remit of design.” He will join up with all kinds of collaborators such as artists, artisans, illustrators and inventors when his one-man studio needs to be expanded to make the whole more than the sum of the parts.
As one of Australia’s leading industrial designers, Adam Goodrum is world-renowned for his design innovation and distinct Australian aesthetic. Focusing on furniture, product and interior design, Goodrum delivers progressively original, intelligent and award-winning collections, highly regarded for commercial and retail applications.
A firm believer that every environment is defined by the objects within it, Adam Goodrum designs with the philosophy that an object must therefore justify its existence – through its story and detailing. For this reason, his designs celebrate process and craftsmanship and accentuate components and joinery to create functional pieces with spirit and personality. In recent years, Goodrum’s work has been awarded a host of design accolades including the NGV Rigg Prize, Vogue x Alessi Design Prize, Indesign Luminary Award and the Idea Awards Editor’s Medal. He has also been commissioned to design pieces for several global luxury brands including Veuve Clicquot, Alessi and Cappellini.
While the inclusion of surprising elements has always been a kind of a trademark, bold colours such as in the easy chair Big Talk from Bla Station gives his design objects a striking personality all of their own.