Australian designer Olivia Bossy spent her life between Australia and Europe before settling in Sydney. Working across furniture and interiors, her work is characterised by a well-defined simplicity enriched by a strong material palette and sculptural silhouettes that often nod to brutalism.
Olivia Bossy: design as the narrative of a moment in time
‘I am inspired by a little bit of everything I see out there, I’m an image hoarder,’ she says. ‘It could be a hook holding something a particular way, a park bench, a book or just an idea.’ For instance, she describes her ‘Table for Some Things (but not others)’ as ‘a visual representation of someone having too many things/thoughts.’
Among her works, the ‘Objects 2022’ collection stands out: with a background in graphic design and no furniture training, she wanted ‘to see if I could produce a fully resolved body of work without client restrictions, and present it in a very stylised way as a kind of experiment.’ The collection features a daybed, floor lamp, sconces and side tables ‘born of fire, Euclidean geometry and the display mechanism of museum artefacts.’
They feature curved stainless steel sheets, Ebonised Tasmanian Blackwood, Charred Tallow and Cambia Ash with neutral linens and cottons, a colour and material palette that is both essential and elevated. ‘I have these very clear characters which form around each piece and they carry the narrative of that moment in time,’ she explains. ‘I’m not into prescribing to others what a piece should mean though - if they want to have it as a sculptural piece in the middle of a room fine, but if it has more meaning to them as a snack bar, then also fine.’
Her advice to the next generation of creatives? ‘Unless you are uplifting a community through design, what we do isn’t that important.’
