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By Hayley Pearson

We absolutely love art here at Adelady and if you look close enough, Adelaide is a visual feast of artistic talent and flare. Here are three Adelady artists you should know about…and a few of their fave places in Adelaide!

Hayley x

13339703_10154142864304534_9155933692200468208_nImage credit: Caren Elliss Design

1. Caren Elliss Design

:: Caren is the super talented designer and maker of beautiful furniture. She spent 2 years training with The Jam Factory in Adelaide and last year started her own studio. She also fitted out one of our fave cafes in Adelaide – Mister Sunshine’s!

 Her latest range of “Luhne” stools are so freaking cool and would look great in any stylish home or business! “Essentially I was trying to produce something with as little volume as possible, a form with strength and integrity that would complement a variety of spaces.”

profile caren elliss
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Image : Caren Elliss Design, Stools, 2016, mild steel and tasmanian oak, various sizes available, Photographer Sven Kovak

stool close up

  Image : Caren Elliss Design, Stool detail, 2016, mild steel and tasmanian oak, various sizes available, Photographer Sven Kovak

Here are Caren Elliss’ fave places in Adelaide ::

Fave place for coffee 

Mister Sunshine’s Thebarton. Best coffee in the west and I happened to do the interior/exterior fit out of the building.

 Fave brekky cafe

Folklore Cafe Port Adelaide. It’s a Renew space that overlooks the Port river. The staff are wonderful and the food is amazing. A very relaxing place to get nourished.

 Fave Adelaide artist, other than yourself 

Glass Artist Tegan Empson. I love her eye to detail and how much expression she gets in the individual faces of her beautiful glass Rabbits.

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2. JANE BOWDEN :: ZU DESIGN JEWELLERY + OBJECTS

 :: Jane Bowden has been crafting exquisite jewellery and objects for over 20 years. She does a lot of private commissions and loves listening to her clients’ stories and sharing their important life moments by incorporating them in her work. She owns Zu design – jewellery + objects in Adelaide’s Gays Arcade, which houses her studio, as well as a gallery and retail space.

Jane Bowden Portrait

Jane Bowden Zen RingImage: Zen ring series, Sterling silver, 18ct gold (left), 22ct Gold (centre), Sterling silver (right), Photographer Grant Hancock

13310490_10154129722449534_7664212817303941573_nImage: Woven ring, 2008, 18ct Pink gold, Photographer Grant Hancock

 Here are Jane Bowden’s  fave places in Adelaide ::

Fave place for coffee

Ciao in Adelaide Arcade. Vivian and Peter know exactly how to make my perfect coffee every morning. It’s a great start to my day.

 Fave brekky cafe 

Paddy’s Lantern on Gilbert Street, the best coffee (when I’m not at work) and awesome grilled mushrooms on sourdough.

 Fave Adelaide artist, other than yourself 

I have many, but I do covet Frank Bauer’s sculptural lights. He was one of my jewellery lecturers who inspired my love of form and helped me to strive for perfection.

13256418_1154026491315919_463148279018528320_nImage credit: Paddy’s Lantern

3. Stephanie James – Manttan

:: Stephanie is a star behind the pottery wheel. She transforms her materials into amazing translucent, textural forms that have a soft woven-like characteristic. She’s also co-founder of 6 Hands Studio in West Croydon and opened the retail space 3 Degrees West late last year. Certainly a busy Adelady!

Her work is exhibited nationally and can be found in lots of leading Australian craft and design outlets, including Jam Factory, Council of Objects and One Small Room.

Stephanie Portrait

Stephanie Impressed Vessel White

Image: Impressed Vessel and Shallow Bowl, 2010, Porcelain, various sizes, Photographer Grant Hancock

Stephanie Blue VesselImage: Random Ashlar Vessels #2 & 3, 2015, Raku Clay and porcelain inlay, #2 – 290 x 270mm, #3 – 225 x 190mm, Photographer Michael Hains, Kevin Killey Photographic

 Here are Stephanie James – Manttan’s fave places in Adelaide ::

Fave place for coffee 

6 Days a week I make the journey from home at Norwood to my shop and studio at West Croydon, and bless their cotton socks, Tell Henry are strategically located on route in Kent Town.   Brad and he’s amazing team manage without fail to produce what I can only say is exceptional coffee day in and day out.  What I love about Tell Henry, it’s all about the coffee.  While waiting for my morning beverage, I listen and watch them talk this mystical foreign language of numbers and blends while painstakingly noting down on a whiteboard any subtle variations on the beans that they lovingly grind to perfection to create that perfect shot.   It’s pure dedication and I completely respect that!!  The atmosphere is also great, the place is always a buzz of people in friendly chit chat.  Everybody seems to know everybody else.  If feels so familiar and it’s such a great way to start the day. Just love those guys!!

Fave brekky cafe 

I’m not one for actually doing breakfast in Cafes, not that I wouldn’t love too.  Most of my mornings are spent doing paperwork, replying to emails and getting hubby and my teenage son, who’s now doing year 12 this year, out of the house before I start getting myself ready, so time doesn’t really allow for those little indulgences.  But on a number of occasions when I used to work for Elise at Council of Objects (FYI best shop in the city that sells beautiful handmade objects) on Mondays, I would pop into East End Providore in Ebenezer Place.  Their breakfast bagels and juices are to die for.  Oh! and the plates they serve their food on, are pretty good too … sorry for the shameless commission plug 😉

 Fave Adelaide artist, other than yourself 

I have this thing about wood and ceramics, they both have such a natural connection with the earth.  There is nothing more pleasing to my eye than seeing a beautifully crafted piece of ceramics on a gorgeous dining room or side table, it just makes me melt.  We are so lucky to have such an amazing selection of furniture designers in Adelaide, but I just can’t go past the work of Caren Elliss.  Her work has such strength and unassuming confidence.  I’ve love looking at her work from different angles, there is such a variety of visual layers from the different materials that uses to the confident colours and the unexpected shapes, it’s such a visual feast.

1422368_654896131328008_2177864836209169988_nImage credit: Tell Henry

Experience South Australia’s best visual artists, craftspeople, designers and creative spaces. Explore Well Made to find a special gift, commission one of the State’s finest or discover what’s happening across our creative industry.

Hayley Pearson

Hayley Pearson

Co-Creator and Writer for Adelady, she still gets goosebumps that she’s combined her creative passion with sharing the best of her stunning home state.

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