Tasman Munro
Artist biography
Tasman is a social designer living and working in Marrickville. He began as a woodworker, after high school he interned with a cabinet maker, it was here he fell in love with the experience of making. In search for more diversity Tasman studied industrial design at UTS but soon realised that ethically he wasn’t interested in producing consumer products. After graduating Tasman dedicated his practice to social design and since then has collaborated on diverse projects including Housing for Health in remote communities, therapeutic learning spaces in prison and collaborative making with people recently arriving in Australia. He is currently finishing a PhD (bringing the principles of Narrative Therapy into Design), working at the Design Innovation Research Centre (UTS) and part of the team running Join The Dots workshop in Marrickville.
Social designers are like the social workers of the design world – they collaborate with people on projects that encourage social growth, fight for social justice, support meaningful interaction or assist people in complex situations. Within these collaborations Tasman connects with local skills and knowledge whilst bringing his own expertise in industrial design, spatial design, research, illustration and woodworking.
Current work and inspiration
Tasman is currently working on ‘My Plate, Your Plate’ (with the Community Arts Project Officer, Inner West Council, the Community Refugee Welcome Centre Coordinator and audio engineer Caitlin Gibson). This project brings local residents and people from refugee background together to exchange recipes, eat together and share stories of food, cooking and culture. Tasman is working with participants to design a food cart which can be taken to events at the end of the project, proving opportunity for the public to try a recipe and listen to a story. Within this project inspiration comes from time spent with people – a story sparks an image, a biscuit inspires a form and local craft informs the way the cart is made. This inspiration is woven into our conversations about the way the cart should work and the experience people should have whilst using it.
Check out the My Plate, Your Plate webpage for Tasman's impression of what the finished cart will look like.
Art and design are powerful tools for promoting social growth, not only through the things we make but through the processes we use to create them.
Keep an eye on Council's My Plate, Your Plate webpage for updates on the project.
Website and social media links