Tasmanian designer Isaac Williams presented his Cork Rebirthed Dine chair as part of the NGV Rigg Design Prize 2025, which this year focused on designers under the age of 35.
The Cork Rebirthed Dine chair is part of a series that Isaac is working on called Rebirthed, in which functional objects are created from discarded objects or materials.
The Cork Rebirthed Dine chair is made from discarded chairs with failing vinyl or leather upholstery, whose frames were refined and whose upholstery was replaced with cork.
“Cork was chosen to replace the failed upholstery of the found steel frames, as it provides a low environmental impact, functions well as a seat back and base (longevity and comfort) and to me its a beautiful material that probably has been under-utilised, beyond its commonly known uses,” says Isaac.
Cork is a very versatile material for designers. The bark of a cork tree can be harvested without killing the tree and grows back, making the material very sustainable. In furniture, it is also lightweight and comfortable thanks to its spongy quality, plus it is very durable.
Isaac Williams Design Objects is the studio of lutruwita (Tasmanian) designer and artist Isaac Williams. “[I’m] looking at waste as an archeological artefact and therefore what inviting it back into our daily lives, by representing it with beauty and function, can reveal about our relationship with the material world.”
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