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Sam Tomkins

@tomkinsdesign

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Industrial Designer / Maker/ Lecturer - University of Canberra

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Interstitial Utility — new work for the Canberra Art Biennial 2026.
I’m pleased to be presenting “Interstitial Utility” as part of “In Service”, curated by Grace Blake, alongside artists Jennifer Mathews and Minka Gillian.
In response to the notion of “in service”, these new works explore the lives and roles of domestic archetypes and how they might be imbued with “interstitial utility”—functional elements that operate between an object’s primary purpose and our experience of it, extending its utility and value to those who use and encounter it.
The two works, I.A. – Interstitial Animacy and Life Support, approach this idea through relationships between object, material, technology and living systems.
I.A. – Interstitial Animacy, employs notions of animacy to explore how a familiar domestic archetype might become responsive to human presence. Produced by robotic 3d-printing technology developed with Max Maxwell, from recycled PETG, the work uses human presences sensors to subtly alter its illumination as individuals move through the surrounding space.
Rather than simply providing light, the object responds to presence—creating moments of interaction that bring awareness to both the individual and their movement through space. These subtle responses suggest a form of attentiveness within the object, shifting the lamp from a passive domestic utility towards something that appears aware of, and responsive to, those around it.

Life Support, reconsiders the familiar typology of the bench by asking what else an object designed to support the human body might support. Its function extends beyond seating to provide a structure for living plants, allowing human and non-human needs to occupy the same object. Constructed from aluminium foam and recycled PETG the material palette aims to employ materials that can, at the end of their lives, be easily metabolized into new objects through cross-cycling, an approach know as “Cradle to Cradle.

Special thanks to Addie Hutchison – Plant Genius, Nick Burrows – Photography wizard, And all who supported this project along the way.

#industrialdesign #designresearch #roboticprinting #3dprinting #aluminiumfoam taken in Constitution Place by @tomkinsdesign

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I’m delighted to share that SUPERFLAX, my collaboration with @iainmaxmaxwell @supermanoeuvre has been acquired by the National Gallery of Victoria (@ngvmelbourne) into their permanent collection. by @tomkinsdesign

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I am excited to share that #SuperFlax, a collaborative project with @iainmaxmaxwell and @supermanoeuvre has been included in the exhibition “MAKING GOOD” which opened last night at the National Gallery of Victoria @ngvmelbourne

Special thanks to curator Gemma Savio and exhibition coordinator Sarina Meuleman for including our work in what is an incredible exhibition.

#SuperFlax was commissioned for the 2024 Australian Furniture Design Award (AFDA) by the National Gallery of Victoria (NGV) and Stylecraft. This significant design accolade, recognizes excellence in Australian furniture design and its contribution to design discourse and culture. Specifically, the award prioritizes experimentation into new furniture forms and aesthetics; challenges designers to consider the convergence of traditional and emerging technologies; demonstrate techniques that challenge existing production systems and supply chains; speculate on how furniture might evolve in connection to social, cultural, environmental and technological forces. Our chair design offers an innovative response to each of these themes. by @tomkinsdesign

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~ the visualisation of humpback whale song ~ cymatics (from Ancient Greek: κῦμα for ‘wave’) is the study of making sound visible. I have recently been working with Australian designer Sam Tomkins to develop a suite of custom-built analogue cymatic instruments. This particular instrument projects the vibrations of sound through water.

These cymatic figures are produced from hydrophone recordings of humpback whale songs. These recordings were collected by Mark Franklin (from The Oceania Project) off the coast of Eastern Australia, during the humpback whales cycle of migration between their birthplace in the Great Barrier Reef and their Antarctic feeding areas.

These works will be on exhibition in my upcoming show ‘Worlds Around Us’ at @tweedregionalgallery (June 27 - November 9). Big thanks to @tomkinsdesign (decadent chill casual genius) and @artsact_ for the support in this new venture.

1. Cymatic Projection of Whale Song | (Migaloo) recorded in 1998 by Mark Franklin for The Oceania Project. Migaloo is a rare albino humpback whale that, when first sighted, was believed to be the only white whale in the world.
2-3. Cymatic Sculpture #cymatics #whalesong by @tomkinsdesign

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Photographs by Nick Burrows of our recent Second Skin exhibition. Thanks to everyone who attended as part of Craft + Design Canberra Festival 2024. A small excerpt from the exhibition:
“Second Skin (aka. FlaxWing) is a collocation of multiple research trajectories within a speculative retrofit scenario. It positions questions that span material research, computational design and fabrication, and machine control. While each trajectory may be nascent, collectively, they highlight the many ways that architecture can contribute to a decarbonised built environment.”

Supported by an Alastair Swayn Foundation Design Strategy Grant, Second Skin is an interdisciplinary collaboration undertaken by a team of researchers from the University of Canberra’s Faculty of Arts and Design. The team members are Mike Louw @mic_lou, Sally Farrah, Max Maxwell @iainmaxmaxwell, Sam Tomkins @tomkinsdesign, Noah Watson @noah.watson1, and Jonathan le Chung @jonno_le_chung. Produced with the assistance of Bill Shelley and Sam Shellard from Workshop 7, and with thanks to the Canberra Accommodation Centre.

@unicanberra @uc_artsdesign @architecture_uc @alastairswaynfoundation
#architecture #architecturestudy #historyandtheoryofarchitecture #historyofarchitecture #architecturaltheory #australianarchitecture #canberraarchitecture #architectureresearch #architectureprototype #architecturaldrawing #architecturalrepresentation

#architecture #architecturaltheory #architecturalpractice #architectureresearch #architectureprototyping #digitalfabrication #climateresilience #residentialarchitecture #australianhousing #adaptivereusearchitecture #adaptivereuse #australianarchitecture #canberraarchitecture #computationaldesign #fabrication taken in University of Canberra by @tomkinsdesign

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EXHIBITION – Second Skin

In the face of climate change, with rising global temperatures and an increased risk of extreme weather events, there’s an urgent need to reconsider ways of making residential buildings (existing and new) more resilient.

The University of Canberra’s research team presents Second Skin, an exhibition exploring innovative, climate-responsive architectural approaches using bio-based, low-carbon materials. This exhibition will showcase immersive projection mappings, sensor-augmented models, architectural drawings, and full-scale material prototypes.

The research team: @mic_lou @s_farrah_ @iainmaxmaxwell @tomkinsdesign @noah.watson1 @jonno_le_chung

Visit the exhibition on Friday 8 November and Wednesday 13 November, 5-6:30pm, at the UC Lodge Gallery Space, Pantowora Street, University of Canberra Campus, Bruce.

This research was supported by an Alastair Swayn Foundation Design Strategy Grant.

#alastairswaynfoundation #alastairswaynfoundationgrants #researchgrants#australianarchitecture #australiandesign @unicanberra @uc_artsdesign @architecture_uc taken in University of Canberra by @tomkinsdesign

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A early small preview of new work under development in the design of a #cymatic instrument/sculpture commissioned by the incredible @sammyhawker as apart of some stunning new work for her upcoming 2025 solo shows @orangeregionalgallery and @tweedregionalgallery , funded through @artsact_ . A promising start to such an exciting project.
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. #cymatics #sonicsculpture #sculture #cymaticart #cymaticfrequencies by @tomkinsdesign

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Very excited to share that #SuperFlax with @iainmaxmaxwell @supermanoeuvre received a #GoodDesignAustralia #Award on Friday night! The project was commissioned by #NGVMelbourne and #Stylecraft for the 2024 #AustralianFurnitureDesignAward and showcases the aesthetic and functional possibilities of #zeropetrochemical #knitted #biocomposite techniques in contemporary design.

The project is part of ongoing material and fabrication research at the University of Canberra #FacultyofArtsandDesign
📸Nick Burrows
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#sustainabledesign #biocomposite #furnituredesign #furnituredesign #australiandesign #sustainability by @tomkinsdesign

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Introducing #SUPERFLAX

A first of its kind bio-composite furniture concept commissioned for the Australian Furniture Design Award curated by the @ngvmelbourne and @stylecraftfurniture

SuperFlax demonstrates the aesthetic and functional possibilities of modern zero-petrochemical techniques in concert with renewable material streams and historical making practices. An approach that is as contemporary as it is ancient.

SuperFlax is an interdisciplinary collaboration between Tomkins Design (Industrial Design and Technology) and supermanoeuvre (Architecture and Technology).

SuperFlax is a part of ongoing materials research at the @unicanberra @uc_artsdesign

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. #knitting #biocomposite #furniture #concept #furnituredesign #design #architecture #sustainability #sustainabledesign by @tomkinsdesign

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We (@tomkinsdesign , @iainmaxmaxwell , @beneb) are excited to share that repete has also been awarded the @gooddesignaus GOLD award on Friday night. Thank you to good design and their advocacy of design excellence, to the @nmf_au for their constant and ongoing support and thank you also the judges and congratulations to the other award recipients. This one means a great deal.

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#roboticfabrication #robotic3dprinting #3dprinting #furnituredesign #productdesign #design #industrialdesign 📸: Marie Louise-Skibbe by @tomkinsdesign

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We are thrilled to share that “Re-Pete”, commissioned by the @nmf_au for the 2022 @mpavilion has won the @design_institute_au of Australia Award of Merit. As the peak industry body we are honoured to have received the recognition of the DIA. Thank you to the DIA and congratulations to the other recipients. .
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📸 : William Hamilton-Coates by @tomkinsdesign

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Only a few days left to see #roboticzen as a part of @unchartedterritory_cbr . #roboticzen is a fun creative project with @iainmaxmaxwell that explores #mindfullness in the age of #automation. Many thanks to @uc_artsdesign @cityrenewalcbr for the opportunity!
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📸 Pat Rose
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#robotics #robots #zengarden #wellnessbot by @tomkinsdesign

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