Beautiful furniture - 65,000 years in the making
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Beautiful furniture - 65,000 years in the making
INTRODUCTION FURNITURE WITH A STORY TO TELL ‘‘In my mind was a vision of beautiful, handmade Australian timber furniture... which could sit comfortably in the foyer of a corporate office or in the sitting room of a luxury apartment. I also wanted the furniture to incorporate indigenous Australian art and showcase the local skills and beautiful materials found in Arnhem Land.” — Mark White Manapan Furniture 1
INTRODUCTION
YOLNGU
– THE PEOPLE
OF EAST
ARNHEM LAND
Manapan is a business owned and
operated by Yolngu, the indigenous
people who have lived in Arnhem
Land for over 50,000 years.
Yolngu have a rich and industrious
history, having traded with the Macassan
and Chinese for over 500 years before
the European settlement of Australia.
Manapan continues this strong tradition.
2
3
STORY
THE MANAPAN
STORY
Manapan is located 500kms East of Darwin We have now established the Manapan Manapan endeavours to empower local people
on Milingimbi Island in Arnhem Land and is Academy which train people in the art of with full time employment. It is also building
one of six islands that form an archipelago furniture making. relationships between Indigenous and
known as the “Crocodile Islands”. non-indigenous people by working together.
We also provide work experience programs It is the Yolngu people’s dream to see their
The traditional custodians of Arnhem Land are for the local school. children and grandchildren working here
the Yolngu people (pronounced yon-gu) who and gaining the skills and qualifications that
have lived here for over 50,000 years and have The timbers used to create the pieces are a will sustain their community for many future
a deep connection, respect and understanding mixture of locally sourced timbers that fell generations.
of the land. over during cyclone Lam in 2015, timber from
Gumaj Aboriginal Corporation in Nhulunbuy
Manapan is a self-sufficient, self-funded and complimented with a mixture of
enterprise which is owned and operated by sustainably harvested Australian timbers.
the Yolngu people, backed by ALPA, the
largest employer of Aboriginal people in
Australia.
4STORY A sustainable future Manapan is backed by ALPA, the biggest employer of Aboriginal people in Australia. Manapan is set up as a commercial business and is not reliant on government assistance. Our aim is to create a strong sustainable business that will support the people of Milingimbi for many years to come. We have created a strong relationship with the local school offering work experience programs. We have also created the Manapan Academy which is teaching local people the skills to join our team. 5
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STORY
AUSTRALIAN FURNITURE
DESIGNS BROUGHT
CAREFULLY TO LIFE
Rob Crisfield, master craftsman
Built by tradition
Rob Crisfield has been with Manapan from the
beginning of our journey, initially using traditional
techniques with minimal machinery and the tools he
had gathered. Now, with modern machinery, Rob has
the ability to create our premium furniture pieces with
his tightly-knit local Milingimbi crew.
Manapan is a unique furniture company. It was set up
to develop skills and employment and what we have
created is a place where exquisite furniture is produced.
Under the guidance of, Rob and using the talents of
the best Australian designers and creatives, we believe
we have the formula right. This furniture showcases the
talents of some of our great Australian designers along
with the skills of the Arnhem Land people.
7STORY
CUSTOM
BUILD PIECES -
AIRPORT
Melbourne Airport
Manapan was invited to be involved in the
manufacture of the high end furniture for
the Melbourne Airport executive offices.
We teamed up with Foolscap Studio a
Melbourne based design company to create
some beautiful furniture.
We worked closely with Foolscap through
the design phase introducing to them
different techniques and finishes unique to
Arnhem Land. The build was carried out
at our Milingimbi workshop as well as in
Melbourne at Ramvek a commercial joinery
company. Our team travelled to Ramvek to
learn and work with the tradesmen on the
areas of the build requiring CNC machining.
The results were spectacular.
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PIECES EACH PIECE BRINGS THE MILINGIMBI STORY ALONG WITH IT Fire sideboard Designer Alexsandra Pontonio Alexsandra Pontonio’s timber Fire Sideboard makes an elegant addition to any living room. Almost black in colour, the Fire Sideboard features two beautifully crafted rollerstyle doors. The edge of each ridge on the tambour-style doors has been left unstained to highlight theform of each door panel. The natural timber also makes an appearance on the interior shelves, allowing a contrast between dark and light. 11
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PIECES
Art bench
Designer
Jon Mikulic, By Lineal
Jon Mikulic’s Art Bench beautifully
combines the traditions of the Milingimbi
community with contemporary design.
Split into two pieces, the timber forms the
‘thread’ that joins the five traditional spears,
produced by the local elders, to the bench’s
four square shaped legs. The size of the
four legs, slender in form, responds to the
trunks of the trees from which they came.
Finely executed scarf joints lock the two
lengths together to form the wooden bench.
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PIECES Woven cabinet Designer Chloe Walbran, By Lineal Chloe Walbran has elevated the art of the Milingimbi community with her Art cabinet. Combining her skills and talent, the Woven Cabinet almost becomes recessive to the woven textiles from the Indigenous artisans. Originating from plants such as the Pandanus Spirifis, or screw palm, the youngest branches are stripped of their prickly edges and the fibres dried out in the sun to form the material for this exquisite textile. The weave in this Woven Cabinet was created by Margaret Djarrbalabal Malibirr at Bula’bula Arts Ramingining. 15
PIECES
Art cabinet
Designer
Chloe Walbran, By Lineal
The Art Cabinet is another piece in
Chloe Walbran’s range. It uses the
same design as the Woven Cabinet,
but the inlay is a beautiful painting
by renowned Central Australian artist,
Jeannie Pitjara.
16PIECES
Fossil coffee table
Designer
Liz Doube, By Lineal
The Fossil Coffee Table features a
beautiful stone top with contrasting
leather inlay. Round in form, like the sun,
the stone top table is complemented
by two boomerang-shaped legs.
Designer Liz Doube sees the shapes
and materials used here as a symbol
of Aboriginal life.
17PIECES
Crocodile lamp
Designer
Suzie Stanford
Suzie Stanford’s Crocodile Lamps,
one designed as a table lamp, the other one
for the floor, evoke the skin of the crocodiles
in the region. Made from Darwin Stringybark,
the timber has been fashioned to appear
skin-like, with all the protrusions and
troughs found on a crocodile.
18PIECES Linear sideboard Designer Ashleigh Parker One of the starting points for Ashleigh’s Linear Sideboard was his appreciation for the work of Danish designer Kaare Klint. Designing solid timber furniture in the late 1930s Klint was strongly influenced by the Bauhaus movement. So, when Ashleigh discovered the Darwin hardwood in Arnhem Land, as well as the local ash species, he saw an opportunity to create a ‘solid’ furniture piece, one that could appeal to a high-end market and that would have longevity. 19
PIECES
THE PEARL
COLLECTION
By Josh Carmody
The Pearl Collection blends the eternal shapes,
forms and materials found throughout Indigenous
Australian culture and craft, with the timeless
typologies of mid-century Danish furniture.
Organic oval shapes featured in the chair backrest
and seat, as well as the table top are reminiscent of
the Wanda and the Coolamon. Furthermore, the
multi-radius curves typical in these aforementioned
objects are the main inspiration behind the gentle
curves and tapers found throughout the legs and
framing in the collection.
Pearl shell embellishments reference the use of the
pearl shell in adornments as well as the fact these
and other shells were traded with the Makassan
people (modern day Indonesians).
The composition of these visual, material, historical
and cultural references culminates in a uniquely
proportioned and detailed collection of fine furniture
for Manapan.
20PIECES
SMALLS RANGE
“Bushfire “The Water of Life” “Njarrpiya” – Octopus
– Fresh and salt
– New beginnings Bowl” Every day at dusk the bats set off from the
These bowls represent the meeting of the mangroves and head to the billabong at
This bowl represents new beginnings. fresh and salt water which is imperative to the end of town where they perform a
The colours used are those seen during sustaining life. The white rim around the ducking and diving ritual; in and out of the
the seasonal burning of the bush. This edge of the bowls represents the ocean in water before settling in the branches of
is done throughout the dry season to its entirety. The thatching that runs the surrounding trees.
germinate seeds, regenerate the bush and through the centre of the bowl is the
allow the sunlight through to the ground freshwater as it runs into and out from the Local stories translated say that the Octopus
to encourage new growth which in turn ocean and the black in the centre of the lives in this billabong and it represents all
will attract animals for hunting. bowl represents the land in between. spirits passed. It is responsible for guiding
the spirits to their next phase and to ensure
It is the cycle of cleaning and that they don’t get lost or trapped along their
regenerating the bush. way. The bats duck and dive into the water to
retrieve the spirits and then take them upward
to the sky where they released into their final
resting place amongst the stars.
21“Cheese board with bowl ” “The Coolamon ” “Campfire” - Sharing a meal
Aboriginal women were the principal food Coolamons, traditionally carried on the This bowl represents people sitting around
gatherers searching for nuts, seeds, head, are oval in shape and were a campfire, preparing and sharing a meal.
vegetables, fruit and witchetty grubs predominantly used by women for The orange coloured dots represent the
which they carried in wooden bowls while gathering bush tucker, carrying water and flames of the fire. The red coloured dots
the men hunted kangaroo, lizards, snakes, cradling babies. Women spent many hours represent the hot coals of the fire and the
goanna and small birds with boomerangs, walking to find enough food to satisfy white dots are the sea shells that remain
throwing sticks and spears. their tribe which included native fruits, after the feast.
such as the wild passionfruit, plums, figs,
This board and bowl represents the tomatoes, raisins and berries.
gathering of bush tucker which would then
be shared amongst everyone at the end of Coolamon’s were often ornately decorated
the hunt. with beautiful designs of birds, animals or
traditional tribal patterns by burning the
wood with a wire that was heated on the
camp fire. Regular rubbing of the vessel
with animal fat ensured the protection and
conditioning of the wood.
22MANAPAN ACADEMY MANAPAN ACADEMY The Manapan Academy is located next to the Manapan workshop. We have developed our own curriculum which our supervisors and mentors will follow to ensure participants are developing. This training facility is aimed at providing Yolngu people with the experience and knowledge to start a career in furniture making. 23
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CONTACT Website manapanfurniture.com.au Email sales@manapanfurniture.com.au Instagram @manapanfurniture Showroom 18 Wilson Street South Yarra Victoria 3141 Australia The photographs in this book were generously undertaken for free by renowned photographer Christopher Tovo — a person who believes in what we are creating.
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