I’m really obsessed with training up a new generation of Aboriginal designers and that’s been a driving force behind my new book, Design and Building on Country: First Knowledges for Younger Readers, co-authored with anthropologist and architect Paul Memmott.
It’s a rework of Design and Building on Country, published in 2021 as part of Thames & Hudson’s First Knowledges series.
The original traversed largely Aboriginal design ingenuity – from fish traps to community settlement layouts – looking at how sophisticated and sustainable design principles refined over millennia are now being applied to contemporary practices.
This new edition for younger readers translates these design concepts into plain language for an audience of around 12 years old. With stories illustrated in striking colour by Archibald Prize-winning artist Blak Douglas, Design and Building on Country fosters an early appreciation for the inventions created by the oldest continuing culture in the world.
I spoke with Sophie Berrell from Australian Design Review about the book and what I hope it can achieve.
