Australian Tapestry Workshop

Testimony to the resilience of tapestry over time, this work was woven in 1979 and still delivers a powerful impact on the wall at Deakin University. Designed by Guy Stuart as a commission for the university's conference room, the work now brings colour and inspiration to a bright, stark atrium at the law faculty. Hung next to a two-story high window, there is no interference from reflections. The wool in the tapestry absorbs the light and captures the eye as you mount the stairs. It has real presence within a starkly beautiful modern building. You can read more about the work in the online catalogue here: https://lnkd.in/gh3B2JGU We are proud of the way tapestry continues to deliver over decades, with wools dyed and treated in-house, requiring very little maintenance to look this good after nearly fifty years. https://lnkd.in/gh3B2JGU

Troy Emery + COX Architecture are the Winners of the 2025 Tapestry Design Prize. “The jury unanimously chose this work for its authentic innovation and deep connection with Robin Boyd as a visionary. Thoughtfully positioned within the living room, its texture, scale, and tones harmonise with Boyd’s architecture. Inspired by the home’s former resident cat, Camilla, the piece is both conceptually rich and beautifully executed by weaver Saffron Gordon – a striking evolution of the medium.”— The Jury, Sally Evans (Nexus Designs), Cassie Hansen (InteriorsAU) and Patrick Kennedy (Kennedy Nolan). Jack MacRae of Wilson Architects has been awarded the 2025 Tapestry Design Prize People’s Choice Award for ‘Cool Down, Stop Acting Crazy’ woven by Amy Cornall. Determined by public vote during the exhibition, this award recognises the design that most strongly resonated with audiences.   You can read more in Architecture Australia https://lnkd.in/g3snbyCM Photography by Astrid Mulder   Sponsors + Partners:  The Tapestry Design Prize is supported by Metal Manufacturers Limited with project partners Robin Boyd Foundation, Nexus Designs, Architecture Media and Envelope Group. 

This really was a dream project and the results were powerful. Thank you Eliza Dawson for collaborating with us on Tapestry Design Prize at Walsh Street.

It is now possible to visit the TAPESTRY DESIGN PRIZE 2025 exhibition. The five finalist designs, each created for a different room within the iconic Boyd House II / Walsh Street have been expertly woven by ATW. These extraordinary tapestries will be exhibited in South Yarra from November 14 – 16 and further brought to life with public programming. Book your tickets now to explore the exhibition, vote for your favourite work in the People’s Choice Award ($1,000 prize), and listen to the makers. https://lnkd.in/gqWzJ7H8 In Conversation Architect Jack MacRae and weaver Amy Cornall Saturday 15 November 11am-12pm In Conversation: Architect Marc Raszewski and artist Troy Emery.  Sunday November 16 2pm – 4pm Image shows three people standing with their completed tapestry: a pink, shaggy creature against a dark background.

Punk Tapestry. The Theremin tapestry, designed by Chicks on Speed, is back on display- in Germany at Museum Villa Stuck in Munich. And a fabulous program of activations for the exhibition Utopia: Chicks on Speed & collaborators is delivering opportunities to see the piece in defiant action until March 2026. The Theremin Tapestry is a musical instrument that integrates analogue and digital processes with slow craft techniques. It questions conventional views of “craft” in terms of decorative and material discourses by making itself alive to composition and performance. Chicks On Speed collaborated with weavers from the Australian Tapestry Workshop over three months in 2009 and the tapestry created has been on tour with Goethe-Institut e.V. If you are in Munich, check out: https://lnkd.in/gZdEkKHV Photo shows a brightly coloured textile on a wall, with a person with her arms open wide in movement, facing the tapestry to play it.

We continue to invest in natural dye practice at our Studios in South Melbourne, with growing engagement from designers and other creatives. So we are opening up our most recent expertise through this workshop which requires no prior knowledge. ATW is a resource for creatives which we seek to share more widely. Please come along if you are curious to learn. Explore the possibilities of botanical dyeing in this hands-on workshop. Learn to identify and use a variety of local eucalyptus to create your own palette of hand-dyed wool yarns in this 3-hour session with ATW botanical dye specialist Heather Thomas. You will experiment with dye extraction, resist techniques, mineral mordants, and overdyeing, and leave with a distinctive collection of samples and custom-dyed yarns — along with the knowledge to continue exploring natural colour in your own practice. Date: November 8 Time: 1pm – 4pm Cost: Adult: $165 | Concession / ATW Friends: $150 Location: Australian Tapestry Workshop, 262–266 Park Street, South Melbourne 3205 Book here: https://lnkd.in/gXY6caN6

We "cut off" the five finalists for the Tapestry Design Prize this week! This important milestone marks the stage when a tapestry is complete and released from the loom prior to finishing for exhibition. It is always a moment to celebrate and we marked the occasion with speeches from each design group and a gathering of stakeholders in this important project that engages architects and interior designers in the expressive potential of tapestry in a domestic interior. Pictured are the short-listed designers selected for the competition, holding their samples from the works that will be exhibited at Robin Boyd Foundation's Walsh Street House from 14-16 November. Tickets for a visit to the house and a chance to hear from the designers and weavers are available here: https://lnkd.in/gqWzJ7H8 Congratulations to the finalists: Jack MacRae, Wilson Architects Troy Emery + Cox Architecture N’arwee’t Professor Carolyn Briggs AM + Greenshoot Consulting Yvette Coppersmith + Anouska Milstein, A.mi Mouriya Senthilkumar + Ian Tsui. To find out more about the finalist designs visit: https://lnkd.in/g8yVpAPz The winner of the $5,000 Prize will be selected by a jury comprising of Patrick Kennedy (Kennedy Nolan), Sally Evans(Nexus Design) and Cassie Hansen (Architecture Media) and announced on Thursday 12 November. Exhibition goers will be able to vote online during the exhibition’s duration to select the $1,000 People’s Choice Prize Winner. Presented by the Australian Tapestry Workshop the Tapestry Design Prize 2025 is supported by Metal Manufacturers Limited, with project partners Robin Boyd Foundation, Nexus Designs, Architecture Media and Envelope Group. Image shows a row of five people holding small tapestries and smiling at the camera.

Momentum is building in our Give Colour Campaign as part of AusArt Day. Will you join us by donating today? As Co-Directors of ATW, we see every day how vital the Dye Lab is to our work. It’s where every colour in our tapestries is created — a unique space dedicated to risk, experimentation, and creativity. We’ve launched the ‘Give Colour’ Campaign to give more artists access to this incredible resource. With your support, we can open up the Dye Lab to more artists, giving them the time, tools, and expertise they need to explore bold, colour-led ideas. Thank you for helping us bring more colour and creativity into the world. — Catherine Jones & Sophie Travers Co-Directors / CEOs, Australian Tapestry Workshop Donate today at: https://lnkd.in/gjxk3d8J

We are delighted to participate in AusArt Day, a national celebration of creativity and giving, taking place on Thursday 23 October 2025, an initiative of Creative Australia. To launch our ‘Give Colour’ campaign, we’re taking you behind the scenes in the Dye Lab with international artist Kayla Powers. The Dye Lab is a vital space for artistic experimentation with colour, guided by our skilled dye technicians. For artists like Kayla, it’s a place where materials, ideas, and technique come together in powerful ways. Watch the video here: https://lnkd.in/gcjgVqwU ‘Donations are already open at this easy to access portal: https://lnkd.in/gjxk3d8J Bring more colour, creativity, and possibility into the world.

The two tapestries designed by the artist Nell that were woven at ATW now feature in the major exhibition ‘Face Everything’ that has just opened at the Heide Museum of Modern Art. "Let me put my love into you" was woven in 2006 for the Deutsche Bank collection and you can read more about it here: https://lnkd.in/gX4w99VU "Birds & Leaves & We Ourselves Come Forth In Perfect Harmony" was woven in 2010 for a private client. This major survey of Nell's work includes over 85 pieces, so we are delighted to have both our collaborations on loan for people to enjoy. The exhibition runs until 1 March 2026. You can book tickets here: https://lnkd.in/gS_WExwP