Design Made to Collect: The Art of the Object
This panel is a deep dive into the increasingly lucrative field of collectible design and asks how both art and design together can enhance the experience of our interiors. Lineup includes: Don Cameron, a designer of exquisite furniture and lighting; Jillian Dinkel, an ex-American Vogue photo production whizz turned award-winning Sydney-based interior designer; Adam Goodrum, an industrial designer whose limited edition work, as duo A&A, fetches upward of $200,000; and Brisbane gallerist Danielle Renshaw, who is refining that city’s art focus ahead of the 2032 Olympics.
Don Cameron | Speaker
Jillian Dinkel | Speaker
Adam Goodrum | Speaker
Stephen Todd | Moderator
Danielle Renshaw | Speaker
Don Cameron is an Australian director, designer and visual artist. Graduating from Central St Martins College of Art, London with 1st Class Honors, his career began as a director of music videos, creating defining works for British recording artists Pet Shop Boys, Garbage and Blur. Working in the world of material culture has produced a devotion to outcome and a symmetrical high standard of idea and technique. Cameron’s film oeuvre engages architecture, objects and furniture to compose compelling visual narratives. In 2008 Cameron began to explore the disciplines of design and interior architecture. His auteur approach to film crossed mediums to find concrete form in the built environment. Arriving at a unique language that approached the comprehensive design of interiors with a film vocabulary—endowing spaces with a strong visceral, emotional and scenographic quality. Cameron’s interiors involve everything from the concept and arrangement of the space to the design of custom furniture and fittings—directing artisans and specialist workshops to realise his original vision.
Jillian Dinkel is the founder and creative director of her eponymous design studio, a high-end interior design practice specialising in period and heritage homes. Her illustrious journey into the realm of design commenced within the prestigious corridors of New York City’s fashion scene. She spent nearly a decade as a fashion editor at Condé Nast, culminating in her role with Vogue in Australia. Collaborating with some of the world’s most influential creators, industry luminaries, and renowned artists, Jillian meticulously honed her discerning eye for detail and storytelling that would come to define her signature design aesthetic. Since turning her focus to interior design in 2016, Jillian has built an international reputation for creating bespoke interiors that blend modern functionality with the timeless elegance of historic architecture. Jillian’s work has been internationally recognised in leading interiors publications, including Architectural Digest, Vogue Living, Casa Vogue, and The Local Project. This year she has been named a Vogue Living Interior Designer on the Ascent as well as one of the esteemed VL50, one of the Créateurs Design Award Select and as one of the globe’s leading female designers by Beta Plus. Jillian Dinkel’s work continues to redefine the boundaries of sophistication and creativity in the world of design.
Adam Goodrum is one of Australia’s most acclaimed and prolific furniture designers, with a body of work spanning both local and international clients, including Cappellini, Alessi, Norman Copenhagen, Louis Vuitton, Cult, and Tait. His design philosophy centres on the belief that an object must justify its existence through story and detail. Celebrating craftsmanship and joinery, his work brings spirit and personality to highly functional pieces. Adam is one half of Adam&Arthur, a studio focused on creating unique straw marquetry furniture pieces. Together, the duo have received international acclaim, winning the Dezeen Award for Best Furniture Design and the Créateurs Design Award for Best Collection. Closer to home, they won this year’s Vogue Living’s Product Designers of the Year.
Danielle Renshaw is the owner and co-director of The Renshaws, a leading Australian commercial gallery operating on a national scale from its Brisbane base. The gallery is dedicated to supporting living artists and is renowned for fostering the careers of some of the most influential contemporary artists working today. With over two decades of experience navigating the complex intersections of commerce, curation, and collection, Danielle has established herself as one of Australia’s most respected art consultants. She is the co-director of the highly regarded Renshaw & Kubler, a consultancy known for its strategic focus on contemporary and conceptual art practices, particularly within the evolving currents of Australian and Asia Pacific art. Danielle’s career has spanned commercial galleries, institutional collaborations, and high-level strategic advising. Known for her curatorial depth and discerning eye, she brings a rigorous, research-led approach to all aspects of her work. Her insights are regularly sought on panels and she’s well known for her role as a mentor to many emerging artists. Most recently she established the Steamm Studios, providing free artist studios to Brisbane based artists.
Stephen Todd began his writing career in Paris in the early 1990s where his immersion in the worlds of fashion, art, architecture and design saw him well-placed to contribute essays to journals of record including The New York Times, The Guardian, The Australian and Le Monde, and magazines including Wallpaper*, Blueprint, Fantastic Man and American Vogue. Returning to Australia in late 2010, today he is the Design Editor of the Australian Financial Review newspaper and the Head of Publishing at Powerhouse Museum.
Curated by Stephen Todd
A valid ticket to Sydney Contemporary 2025 is required for entry to this talk. We recommend arriving 10 minutes before the talk’s start time. Buy tickets now.
Image Credit: Exquisite Corpse, Victoria Zschommler. Image Courtesy of Adam Goodrun.
