Welcome to Simone LeAmon
Simone LeAmon is a designer and contemporary artist working in Australia. Simone’s inclusion in the 2007 publication & Fork by Phaidon Press identified her as one of the world’s most exciting up-and-coming designers.
Commencing her career in the contemporary arts Simone has worked with a variety of media in a solo capacity including drawing, painting, sculpture, performance and digital media. A significant contribution to Simone’s training was time spent between 1996-8 at Workshop 3000 working for Australian design luminary Susan Cohn. In the years to follow Simone was a partner in n+1 equals interdisciplinary studio in Melbourne and received a Master of Design in industrial design from RMIT University (2004).
Simone has developed product designs and concepts for lighting, furniture, interior accessories, graphics, motorcycle apparel, fashion and jewellery. Her long-fascination with the machismo of moto culture, the transference of desire and passion for products that tell a story through process and material have been central to Simone’s practice. All the work developed draws on her expansive erudition in the visual arts, product design and critical theory.
Simone’s art and design work has featured in publications and exhibitions in Australia and internationally since 1993, recent exhibitions include; Freestyle: New Australian design for living, Milan Trienale, Design in the Fast Lane, 2007 FORMULA 1™ ING Australian Grand Prix and Anytime Soon. Australia, 1000 Eventi Milan.
Simone is the founding director of O.S INITIATIVE, a company that reflects the full diversity of her creative practice. An interdisciplinary design and creative strategy house based in Melbourne O.S INITIATIVE pursues a program of in-house design projects and delivers design and creative strategies for clients in manufacturing, design, publishing and events. Passionate about fostering creative dialogues O.S INITIATIVE draws on the sense of place, wit and sustainability concerns that are integral to our daily lives.
Simone is the Creative Director for Planex, Australia’s leading high-design manufacturer of office storage and accessories, she also lectures in the industrial design program at RMIT University, Melbourne and writes a regular column for Indesign magazine.
This website will provide you with an overview of the recent activities of Simone LeAmon. For further information, inquiries, purchases or to discuss a project contact simone@osinitiative.com
Latest News from Simone LeAmon
10 May – 29 June 2008
Triennale di MilanoFreestyle brings together the work and stories of 40 outstanding Australian designers including Simone LeAmon, Nick Rennie, Susan Cohn and Brian Steendyk. Designers from the fields of furniture, lighting, textiles, homewares, fashion, jewellery and accessories exhibit handmade one-off and limited edition design objects alongside industrially manufactured items and prototypes . Curated by Object galleries’ Associate Director Brian Parkes. www.freestyledesign.info/index.html
Simone LeAmon is appointed Oluce Design Ambassador for Australasia.
Established in 1945 by Giuseppe Ostuni Oluce is an historic name in Italian lighting design. Working with the most celebrated names in product design from the 1950’s to present day the Oluce Company is renowned for their collaborations with esteemed designers such as Joe Colombo, Vico Magistretti, Marco Romanelli, Sebastian Bergne Francesco Rota and Nendo.
28 November 2007 – 31 January 2008
Planex . Richmond, VictoriaFor the first time in Australia Planex presents the design and artwork of Kjell Grant. Celebrated in a survey exhibition curated by Planex creative director Simone LeAmon the Planex showroom plays host to furniture, ceramics, textiles and painting, spanning a career of 50-years.
An industrial designer and architect Kjell Grant commenced his career in 1947 studying under the notable sculptors Henry Moore and Barbara Hepworth at the RCA in London and Mies van der Rohe at the Illinois Institute of Technology. With an illustrious career in product design Kjell Grant has developed products for Cartier, Orrefors, Knoll, Rosenthal and Raymond Loewy N.Y, most notable are his furniture commissions for renowned Australian architects Robyn Boyd, Sir Roy Grounds and Harry Seidler. In 1967 Kjell Grant designed the furniture for the Australian Pavilion at the Montreal Exposition in Canada. The Montreal Chairs resulting from this project are in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art, New York.
Simone LeAmon has been announced as one of 10 finalists in the Bombay Sapphire Design Discovery Award 2007.
Presented at Object Gallery, Sydney the Design Discovery Award Exhibition opens on September 11 and tours nationally through to October 2008.
The Bulletin, Special 2007 Edition, June 26, ACP Magazines Australia
A finalist in the Design category of the Bulletin magazines Smart 100 Simone LeAmon is one of ten Australians nominated for her contributions to the Australian design sector. Alongside architect Cassandra Fahey (2007 winner), Chris Bosse, Zahava Elenberg, Adam Goodrum, Alexander Lotersztain, Marc Schamburg, Michael Alvisse, Denise Sprynskyj and Peter Boyd, Simone LeAmon is applauded for her innovative approach to the market combining the fields of contemporary art with product design.
Featured in the Good Weekend Design and Technology issue Simone LeAmon is profiled in Dani Valent’s article Ready Set Go in the company of Adam Goodrum, Alexander Lotersztain, Steven Blaess, Steven Mieszelewicz and Nimrod Weis. Singled out as one of Australia’s leading emerging designers, Simone LeAmon offers an entertaining account of pursuing the design road.
Simone LeAmon is featured in the bold new survey of the world’s most exciting up-and-coming designers by leading publishing house Phaidon Press. 100 designers from 24 countries were selected by 10 international curators; from Seoul to Paris, Melbourne to New York, Lisbon to London, the designers featured in &Fork challenge the status quo and present fresh, dynamic ideas at the forefront of design.
Appearing on the front cover of Australia’s foremost industrial design magazine the work of artist and designer Simone LeAmon is brought to the fore in a conversation with editor Belinda Stening. Discussing her rigorous approach to her work the article reveals some of the abiding themes in LeAmon’s practice.
