This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page. (Learn how and when to remove these messages)
|
David Trubridge | |
---|---|
Trubridge in 2019 | |
Born | 14 January 1951 England |
Occupation(s) | Furniture and lighting design |
David Geoffrey Trubridge is a furniture designer based in Whakatu, New Zealand. Trubridge is an award-winning lighting designer who specializes in sustainable lighting and green materials.
Early life and education
Trubridge graduated from Newcastle University in 1972 with a degree in Naval Architecture (Boat Design). He then worked as a forester in rural Northumberland for ten years where he learned how to make furniture. His designs were shown in the UK, including at the Victoria and Albert Museum and St. Mary's Cathedral in Edinburgh.
Career
Trubridge's works have been featured in exhibitions at Dwell on Design in Los Angeles as well as Wanted Design in NY. Since 2006, he has participated in the Milan Furniture Fair.
In 2007, in conjunction with the Natural Art Museum and the United Nations, Trubridge exhibited "On Thin Ice" at the Nobel Peace Centre. Shown in Oslo, Brussels, Monaco and Chicago, this sculptural investigation into climate change won a Green Leaf Award.
In 2008, Trubridge was listed by French magazine L'Express as one of the Top 15 Designers in the World.
In the 2019 Queen's Birthday Honours, Trubridge was appointed an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to design. He was also a part of the 2010 Smithsonian Cooper Hewitt Design National Design Triennial.
Notable works
While speaking for the DINZ Council, Martin Sidoruk said, "David is a true advocate of New Zealand's design industry, speaking regularly overseas and mentoring young designers while at the same time achieving international success and recognition for his incredible designs."
Flora, fauna, and formations within landscapes mainly comprise Trubridge's work. These include lighting, furniture, large-scale commissions, and sculptural pieces.
Perhaps one of the most well-known Trubridge "signatures" is the Coral Light. Inspired by the designer's experiences underwater, the piece is based on the structure of a geometric polyhedron and is reminiscent of the intricate patterns within the coral itself. The collections incorporate a wide range of "Grow" lights known as the "Seed System."
In 2008 Body Raft was designed for the New Zealand exhibition "Furniture in Context," a Hawke's Bay Cultural Trust initiative. Later, it was taken to the Dowse Art Museum, where this piece was further developed in 2001 and shown at the Milan Furniture Fair. It was Body Raft which helped Trubridge onto the international design circuit with the piece's design purchased by the Italian company Cappellini.
Trubridge has also developed a number of large scale commissions for corporate clients. These include a series of lights for Topshop's flagship store in Oxford Street for the launch of the Kate Moss collection; for Stella McCartney in Printemps (Paris); benches for Suncorp HQ (Brisbane) and the AMP foyer (Auckland); customized lights for Oroton (in all Australian stores); and sculptural light installations for Bombay Sapphire's pop up shop in Auckland.
A collaborative project with Urban Arts Projects resulted in a lighting installation for the Westfield Fox Hills Shopping Centre in California. In addition, Trubridge has work in The Minneapolis Museum (Glide), Auckland Museum (Pacific Chair) and in the Powerhouse, Sydney (Sling).
Most recently, in 2010, the Pompidou Centre in Paris purchased Trubridge's Icarus installation (two Wing and one Sola light) for its permanent collection.
Awards
In the 2019 Queen's Birthday Honours, Trubridge was appointed an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit, for services to design.
References
- "David Trubridge lighting". WakaNine. Retrieved 20 December 2024.
- "David Trubridge - Designer Profile". Stylepark. Retrieved 16 September 2022.
- "Driven By A Strong Environmentally Conscious Philosophy". David Trubridge. Retrieved 28 November 2023.
- "Queen's Birthday Honours List 2019". Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. 3 June 2019. Archived from the original on 2 June 2019. Retrieved 3 June 2019.
- Dunn, Collin. "David Trubridge: Designing with Morality". Treehugger. MNN Holdings, LLC. Archived from the original on 18 May 2011. Retrieved 2 May 2013.
- Chesneau, Mel. "The Designer David Trubridge interview". Melchesneau. Retrieved 20 December 2024.
External links
- Official website
- Works in the collection of the Pompidou Centre
- Entries on website for Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa
- Episode of 95bFM documentary series, Seeded
- entry on Design Within Reach website
Publication mentions
- Schamroth, Helen. 100 New Zealand Craft Artists. Auckland: Godwit Press, 1998. ISBN 1869620305.
- Fuad-Luke, Alastair. eco-Design:The Sourcebook. Chronicle Books, 2006. ISBN 0811855325 (Trubridge is on cover)