Heartwood – Celebrating Tasmanian Women in Timber

Design Tasmania’s 10th Anniversary of Women in Design Program

The opening of Design Tasmania’s new exhibition Heartwood, is a celebration of Women in Timber, marking the 10th anniversary of our Women in Design program.

The exhibition marks a milestone anniversary for Design Tasmania’s Women in Design program, showcasing both historical and contemporary voices in Tasmanian woodcraft.

Exhibition Opening

Date: Friday, 24 October 2025
Time: 18:00 – 20:00
Location: Design Tasmania, Launceston
Corner of Brisbane and Tamar Streets, Launceston.
Tickets: Available at designtas.info/heartwood-opening

Guests will be welcomed with a complimentary cocktail on arrival, courtesy of project partner Launceston Distillery.

About the Exhibition

At the heart of Heartwood is a newly commissioned work by acclaimed Hobart designer-maker Laura McCusker. Her bespoke Forest Stand—a reimagined version of her iconic Stand and Deliver coat rack—will join the renowned Design Tasmania Wood Collection, cementing her place among Tasmania’s most significant furniture designers.

The exhibition brings together iconic pieces by leading Tasmanian designers, drawn from permanent collections across the state, including works by:

• Laura McCusker
• Sally Brown
• Pippa Dickson
• Linda Van Niekerk
• Linda Fredheim
• Gay Hawkes
• Ellen Nora Payne

Each designer explores a distinct relationship with Tasmanian timber through varied techniques—carving, charring, bending, shaping, and finishing—underpinned by unique philosophies and values that reflect both contemporary practice and the island’s deep woodworking traditions.

As Artistic Director Michelle Boyde explains: “Like the heartwood of a tree, this exhibition acknowledges the enduring line of women working with Tasmanian Timber on the island, paving the way for the next generation.”

Featured Artist – Laura McCusker

Laura McCusker has been building furniture professionally for over 20 years. She is a classically trained fine woodworker and cabinet maker with experience in boat building, fit-outs and traditional freestanding pieces.
Originally raised in Adelaide and educated in Sydney, McCusker relocated to Hobart in 2003, where she established her practice in an old apple packing shed just north of Hobart’s CBD. What began as a lifestyle change has evolved into one of Tasmania’s most celebrated furniture design practices.

For McCusker, good design exists in the overlap between art, craft and the trades, needing to perform its function well while bringing pleasure to the end user and being ethically made. She has moved away from what she once saw as ubiquitous internationalist modernism, believing that centuries-old artisanal crafts still have validity, particularly in the current climate.

McCusker uses a mental equation when designing – the piece she makes must have a lifespan that is at least as long as the timber has taken to grow, and then some. She believes there is no real reason that pieces made today shouldn’t last for hundreds of years.

McCusker draws inspiration from unusual forms, with her furniture often made from the ordinary, then painstakingly reformed into timeless pieces of art built to withstand the happenings of a lifetime and beyond. She has become particularly known for championing Tasmanian Oak, a timber that was undervalued locally when she first arrived in the state.

In her work, McCusker tries to use materials that are local, simple and modest but crafted in an elevated way. She notes that Tasmanian Oak wasn’t traditionally used in furniture but was used more as a building product. When something modest and simple is respected and used well, it can truly be elevated.

The Significance of Heartwood

The exhibition title Heartwood is richly symbolic.

Just as the heartwood of a tree provides structural strength and durability at the core, these women designers form the strong foundation of Tasmania’s contemporary furniture design scene. Their work acknowledges historical traditions while pushing boundaries, creating a legacy that inspires and enables emerging makers.

By bringing together works that span generations and approaches—from traditional woodworking techniques to contemporary interpretations—Heartwood demonstrates the breadth, depth, and ongoing vitality of women’s contribution to Tasmanian design.

This exhibition is presented as part of Design Tasmania’s ongoing commitment to celebrating and promoting Tasmanian design excellence, with special thanks to project partner Launceston Distillery.

Tasmanian Times (TT) is a community-based news and current affairs service covering the island state of Tasmania. It exists to provide a diverse presentation of Tasmanian issues. TT creates and supports independent media content utilising the best of modern technologies and tried-and-true practices of public-interest journalism.

Support us in expanding our coverage and developing new content by and for Tasmanians. 

 New initiatives on the way include … what our contributors and readers suggest! Please get in touch with your suggestions.