RE:BORN Exhibition Catalogue - MDW26

CULTIVATED

DISPOSAL IS A FAILURE OF IMAGINATION.

Something beautiful is being reborn.

RE:BORN is an immersive exhibition exploring transformation through furniture, fashion and artistic collaboration, where discarded objects are reimagined into collectible design.

Presented by Cultivated and Romance Was Born as part of Melbourne Design Week 2026, the exhibition responds to growing questions around waste, consumption and material value. Through restoration, reinvention and craft, forgotten furniture is transformed into expressive new forms that honour both history and possibility.

Blurring the boundaries between art, fashion and design, RE:BORN unfolds as a theatrical spatial experience curated by Romance Was Born with spatial direction from studio x us. Sculptural furniture, layered textiles, contemporary artworks, custom

sound and architectural interventions converge within an immersive environment supported by Artbank. Built in part from the existing NEWNEW pavilion structure alongside newly crafted elements, the exhibition embraces a site-responsive approach where every component has been designed with a future life beyond Melbourne Design Week. Restored furniture, repurposed textiles and a modular exhibition structure, reflects a commitment to reuse, reinvention and local manufacturing at every scale.

More manifesto than display, RE:BORN proposes that sustainability and creativity are not opposing forces, but deeply interconnected instincts — united through imagination, collaboration and care. The exhibition invites audiences to reconsider what we discard, and to recognise the potential that already exists within what has been overlooked.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Presented and curated by Cultivated with Romance Was Born

Hosted by Artbank featuring works from the Artbank collection

Exhibition Design by studio x us

Facilitated by Cult Design featuring furniture from the Cult Design portoflio

Curtains and Wall Fabric by Instyle and LoomTex

Upholstery and curtain draping by Interiaura

Custom carpets by Tsar Carpets

Lighting by Yeend Studio

Naturally dyed silk organzas by Wild Heather

Plinths and desk in recycled plastic by Defy Design

VOC-free paint by Oslek Coatings

CULTIVATED

Cultivated is a design practice dedicated to extending the life of furniture through restoration, reinvention and circular thinking. Founded in 2013, Cultivated challenges the culture of disposal by rescuing overlooked furniture and transforming it through collaboration with local craftspeople, designers and manufacturers. Working across collectible pieces, commercial projects and creative partnerships, the practice reveals the enduring value embedded

within existing objects and materials. At the heart of Cultivated is a belief that sustainability begins with longevity that thoughtful design is not only about what we create new, but what we choose to preserve, reinterpret and carry forward. Through restoration that is part craft, part experimentation, Cultivated gives furniture a renewed sense of purpose and relevance, building a future where waste is reimagined as opportunity.

ROMANCE WAS BORN

Romance Was Born is a contemporary Australian fashion house with a unique storytelling vision. The pair is known for their ability to transform any theme or seemingly random inspiration into a glittery, glimmering fashion world. Their collections are full of statement pieces and feature covetable prints, handworked details of appliqué or embroidery, intricate beading and sequinned elements.

Artistic collaboration is an integral part of how Romance Was Born works – they carefully choose collaborators who share their creative passion and dedication to their process. Together they explore a creative common ground and play with the relationship between fashion and art.

FEATURED FURNITURE

Each furniture piece within RE:BORN begins with an existing object — overlooked, discarded or no longer valued in its original form. Through restoration, upholstery, embellishment and artistic intervention, these works are transformed into collectable pieces that challenge conventional ideas of value, permanence and beauty. The collection reflects a dialogue between past and present: preserving traces of an object’s original history while introducing entirely new narratives through colour, texture and form.

Rather than concealing age or imperfection, RE:BORN embraces transformation as a visible and celebrated process — demonstrating that the future of design may lie not in producing more, but in reimagining what already exists.

Loafer Chair SC24 &Tradition

59W x 57D x 79H cm

FEATURED FURNITURE

FEATURED ARTWORK

Presented in collaboration with Artbank, RE:BORN is accompanied by a curated selection of contemporary Australian artworks that extend the exhibition’s exploration of transformation, storytelling and materiality.

Integrated throughout the exhibition environment, the works create unexpected visual conversations between furniture, fashion and fine art — reinforcing the exhibition’s immersive and layered experience. Together, these works celebrate artistic experimentation while reflecting Artbank’s ongoing commitment to supporting Australian contemporary artists and making art accessible through circulation, reuse and reinvention.

Clockwise from top

Leo Coyte

Yolk Thinger, 2013

Synthetic polymer paint on canvas

115.5 x 115.5 x 6 cm

Artbank collection #13777

Annual Rental $990.00 inc. GST

Eduardo Wolfe-Alegria

Morning Rituals, 2021-24

Oil on canvas

99.5 x 89 x 6 cm

Artbank collection #16918

Annual Rental $1,540.00 inc. GST

Clockwise from top

Stephen Bush

Wilderswil, 2000

Oil on linen

201 x 241x 6 cm

Artbank collection #10629

Annual Rental $4,400.00 inc. GST

Brian Dunlop

Pelargoniums, c. 1981

Oil on canvas

48 x 43 x 4 cm

Artbank collection #1756

Annual Rental: $1,540.00 inc. GST

Clockwise from top

Deborah Paauwe

Silent Sleeping Beauty, 2000

Chromogenic photograph

134 x 134 x 5 cm

Artbank collection #10503 (#10504)

Annual Series Rental $2,750.00 inc. GST

Kate Rohde

Turquoise (Birds and Hedgehog), 2006-07

Silicone, foam, fake fur, papier mache, rice paper and jewels

190 x 90.5 x 74 cm

Artbank collection #11838

Annual Rental $1,760.00 inc. GST

Joanna Croke

Harvest Circle, 1994

Harvest Circle, 1994

Harvest Circle, 1994

Cast concrete and pigment

33 x 24 x 24 cm (each)

Artbank collection #8665, #8666, #8667

Annual Series Rental $925.00 inc. GST

Clockwise from top

Paul Knight

cinema curtain #09, 2006

Chromogenic photograph

149.5 x 174.5 x 4.5 cm

Artbank collection #11727

Annual Rental $990.00 inc. GST

Rose Espinosa

Deadly decoration I, 2024

Deadly dame, deathly flame, 2024

Oil on board

23 x 23 x 6 cm (each)

Artbank collection #16814, #16815

Annual Series Rental $1,540.00 inc. GST

Ildiko Kovacs

Roll, 2013

Monotype, ink on paper

127 x 91.5 x 7 cm

Artbank collection #13966 (#13965, #13967)Annual

Series Rental $3,850.00 inc. GST

Clockwise from top

Elisabeth Kruger

Jewelscape, 1991

Oil on canvas

72 x 204 x 3.5 cm

Artbank collection #7784

Annual Rental $2,475.00 inc. GST

Julia Robinson

Rutting Creature I, 2015

Flywire, fibreglass, fabric, thread, wire, foam padding, timber, buttons, plaster, fixings

200 x 90 x 60 cm

Artbank collection #14549

Annual Rental $2,090.00 inc. GST

Deborah Kirby-Parsons

Flowers, 1994

Silver dye bleach print

68 x 58 x 7 cm

Artbank collection #8517 (#8516, #8518)Annual Series

Rental $385.00 inc. GST

Clockwise from top

Guido Maestri

Xerox no. II, 2016

Painted bronze, concrete

56 x 17 x 17 cm

Artbank collection #14547

Annual Rental $2,310.00 inc. GST

Alex Wanders

Entombment, 1994

Oil on canvas

55 x 105.5 x 3.5 cm

Artbank collection #9197

Annual Rental $495.00 inc. GST

Clockwise from top

Polly Borland

Untitled XXVIII, 2010

Chromogenic photograph

80 x 69 x 4.5 cm

Artbank collection #13642 (#13461, #13643)

Annual Series Rental $3,300.00 inc. GST

Hannah Gartside

Bunnies in Love, Lust and Longing #9, 2018

Bunnies in Love, Lust and Longing #5, 2018

Found leather gloves, wire, fabric, thread, weighted curtain cord, found suede gloves, wire, fabric, wadding, thread

20 x 29 x 16 cm

12 x 30 x 11 cm

Artbank collection #15262, #15261 (#15260)

Annual Series Rental $825.00 inc. GST

Clockwise from top

Patricia Piccinini

Sacrifice, 1996

Chromogenic photograph

122 x 124.5 x 4.5 cm

Artbank collection #9547

Annual Rental $3,300.00 inc. GST

Craig Waddell

Franceska, 2013

Oil on canvas

112.5 x 97.5 x 7 cm

Artbank collection #13846

Annual Rental $1,760.00 inc. GST

Nat Thomas

Puppy, 2012

Shells and cement glue on plaster

39 x 50 x 25 cm

Artbank collection #13546

Annual Rental $880.00 inc. GST

Clockwise from top

Bill Henson

Untitled, 1978

Gelatin silver photographs

59 x 56 x 2 cm (each)

Artbank collection #5710

Annual Series Rental $2,750.00 inc. GST

Anne Zahalka

Gesture V, 1993

Silver dye bleach print

78 x 97 x 3.5 cm

Artbank collection #8060 (#8061)

Annual Series Rental $2,200.00 inc. GST

Godwin Bradbeer

The Artist’s Model, c. 1981

Charcoal on paper

92.5 x 155.5 x 3 cm

Artbank collection #1332

Annual Rental: $880.00 inc. GST

Clockwise from top

Janet Green

Cup Cakes and Plastic Cloth, 1987

Synthetic polymer paint on board

41.5 x 41.5 x 3.5 cm

Artbank collection #4737 (#4738, #4739)Annual Series

Rental: $2,255.00 inc. GST

Sid Pattni

One thing happens then the next, 2025

Oil and synthetic polymer paint on canvas

103.5 x 78 x 6 cm

Artbank collection #17001

Annual Rental $1,705.00 inc. GST

Clockwise from top

Lucy Culliton

Knitted Toys, 2007

Coat Hangers, 2007

Oil on board

83 x 80.5 x 5 cm

83 x 80.5 x 4 cm

Artbank collection #11872, #11873

Annual Series Rental $3,300.00 inc. GST

Mikala Dwyer

Empty Sculpture (colour), 2025

Synthetic polymer and plastic

113 x 57 x 57 cm

Artbank collection #17108

Annual rental TBC

FEATURED RUGS

TSAR CARPETS

Founded in Melbourne over 35 years ago, TSAR Carpets is a global leader in luxury custom flooring, renowned for its fusion of avant-garde design and artisanal craftsmanship. A family-owned business established by David and Kerrie Sharpley, TSAR has evolved from a local studio into a world-class powerhouse with showrooms in New York, London, and beyond.

TSAR transforms high-quality natural fibers like New Zealand wool and Tencel into intricate, hand-tufted masterpieces. With an in-house manufacturing facility in Portugal and Indonesia, the brand maintains

unparalleled control over every thread, ensuring each rug is a durable yet expressive architectural statement.

Through RE:BORN TSAR continues its legacy of collaboration and innovation. Their showcase explores the dynamic relationship between interior environments and human wellbeing, pushing the boundaries of texture and material narrative to prove that a rug is not just a floor covering, but a vital catalyst for sensory experience.

After RE:BORN, all rugs will be available for purchase through Cultivated.

1600 diam mm

$3672 incl. GST

RUG 2

2000 x 3000mm

$8607 incl. GST

RUG 3

2700 x 1200mm

$5164 incl. GST

RUG 5

1800 x 3000mm

$5417 incl. GST

RUG 7

1700 x 2000mm

$4877 incl. GST

MAZZUCCATO MURANO CHANDELIERS

$5000 incl. GST

RE:BORN DESK LAMP

$300 incl. GST

RE:BORN FLOOR LAMP

$500 incl. GST

SUPPORTING PARTNERS

ARTBANK

Artbank is a unique visual arts support and access initiative that operates under a simple yet powerful philosophy: art is for everyone. For more than forty-five years it has supported thousands of Australian artists, building an impressive collection of more than 11,000 artworks spanning media including painting, sculpture, video and photography. Through leasing works to individuals, companies and governments, Artbank lives up to its policy principle of promoting broad access to Australian contemporary art. With over fifty per cent of the collection out on loan at any one time, it has built a financially sustainable client base and has been a largely self-funding government program for more than twenty-five years.

STUDIO X US

studio x us is a Melbourne/Naarm-based collaborative design collective led by Sonia Simpfendorfer and Sally Evans.

The studio brings together designers, thinkers and makers to form carefully shaped teams around each project. Each collaboration is guided by dialogue, context and shared authorship. Its practice moves fluidly between interior, object and visual thinking, grounded in materiality, place and human experience.

The studio is interested in how spaces carry memory, how design shapes behaviour and how creative exchange opens up unexpected possibilities. studio x us exists to make thoughtful, resonant work that feels responsive to people, place and moment.

CULT DESIGN

An established voice in contemporary design, Cult Design represents a curated collection of international and Australian furniture, lighting and accessories. Through its Cultivated initiative, it restores, reimagines and extends the life of Cult’s design portfolio, while championing local makers and progressive design thinking. Cult Design also represents TSAR Carpets, a Melbourne/Naarm-based studio specialising in bespoke rugs created in collaboration with designers and artists, combining material innovation with refined craftsmanship.

CONTRIBUTORS

DEFY

Defy is an all-in-one recycler, design studio and manufacturer specialising in recycled plastic, dedicated to reshaping the future of sustainable design and manufacturing. Based in Botany, Defy work exclusively in transforming plastic waste into innovative, high-quality products, reducing reliance on virgin plastics and keeping waste out of landfills and our environment.

Their mission is to give discarded materials a second life, creating everything from hair combs and plant pots to lighting, furniture, and interiors. For

the RE:BORN pavilion at Melbourne Design Week, Defy contributed several display objects: plinths of various sizes and a Shaker-inspired console table. These pieces are made from 100% Australian recycled plastic and utilise a subtle “pearl” white colourway to provide a suitable visual platform for some of the beautiful objects on display. The console table in particular is a unique opportunity to demonstrate delicate, traditional Shaker furniture details reimagined in the novel material of recycled plastic.

INSTYLE & LOOMTEX

Instyle is a supplier of sustainable textiles, leathers, wallcoverings and acoustic solutions, born in Australia, represented and inspired globally. Their inhouse textile and acoustic design studios create refined products shaped by conscious choices and a philosophy of beautiful, enduring and elevated design.

With a long-term vision for circularity and emphasis on locally made finishes, at Instyle’s core runs a deep commitment to Australian design and manufacturing. This was strengthened by the joint acquisition of LoomTex in 2023, Australia’s last commercial textile mill and dyehouse.

Located in the heart of Geelong’s historic wool region, LoomTex draws on over a century of expertise in weaving and dyeing. Building on this rich

heritage, it has become one of Australia’s most innovative and sustainable vertically integrated textile manufacturing facilities.

Together, Instyle & LoomTex are dedicated to preserving the quality craftsmanship of Australian design and manufacturing, shaping a resilient and more sustainable future for our local industry.

INTERIAURA MERCHANTS OF FINE DRAPERY & UPHOLSTERY

For more than 35 years, Interiaura has remained a group of dedicated artisans, specialising in soft furnishings and upholstery. Guided by a British Master Upholsterer and Master of Soft Furnishings, they work closely with designers to create beautifully considered pieces. Known for their attention to detail and quality, Interiaura are a trusted resource for designers. You dream it, they make it! For RE:BORN, bespoke upholstered pieces, tailored curtains, and

handcrafted lampshades are showcased. After RE:BORN, the exteror curtain and inner walls will be reused by Cultivated and Romance Was Born for upholstery and merchandise design.

WILD HEATHER

Wild Heather is a Victorian textile studio run by maker Heather Thomas. For more than two decades, Heather has been exploring the plant kingdom; working with natural dyes and the extraction of colour from native plants. She imparts her knowledge and expertise through regular workshops, symposiums and consultations within the textile industry, including through her position in The Australian Tapestry

Workshop dye lab, while offering commercial clients the possibility of sustainable colour production. For RE:BORN, 200m of hand-dyed silk organza envelope the spaces, all hand crafted using natural dyes Marigold, Madder Root, Indigo and Cochineal.

After RE:BORN, all silk drapes will be used by Romance Was Born for garment design.

OSLEK COATINGS

Oslek is an Australian innovator in high-performance timber coating solutions, honouring craftsmanship with cutting-edge technology. Oslek’s LED Hardwax Oil is the boldest expression of their commitment to innovation, responsibility, and performance; a VOC-free, LED-cured coating with no solvents, ozone gases or fumes that allows for easy surface repair when required. Oslek’s LED Hardwax Oil was used to coat, colour and seal the timber surfaces of the RE:BORN pavilion.

STUDIO YEEND

Founded by Melbourne-based artist & designer Thomas Yeend, YEEND specialises in the production of Australian hand-crafted object and lighting design.

With over 10 years of experience in hand-blown glass product design, YEEND’s core philosophy has always been our dedication to local craftsmanship, emphasizing Australian-made, small-batch production, collaborating alongside a select portfolio of local designers, studios and craftspeople over the years to produce our work.

Their inspiration stems from a deeply-rooted love of colour theory, architectural motifs, and material experimentation. Through a signature use of bold colours, clean lines, and rich textures and materials, our design attempts to embody a stylish elegance with a subtle signature playfulness, resulting in lighting which is as architecturally inspired as the spaces it inhabits, blurring the line between functional lighting and collectible design.

The newest addition to YEEND’s Capsule lighting collection, Capsule Wall draws from Bauhaus and Art Deco stylistic elements, seen in its sweeping curves and bold simplicity, resulting in a wall light that functions as both ambient lighting and a beautiful, timeless piece of design.

Each Capsule glass shade is masterfully hand-blown locally within Melbourne, emblematic of our studio’s dedication to Australian craftsmanship and quality designer lighting. While regularly available in a select range of colours and finishes, Capsule Wall exhibits as part of RE:BORN in an exclusive limited-edition Chai/Brushed Brass finish combination.

27H x 10.5D x 9.5W cm

Material: Blown Glass, Brass/Stainless Steel $750