Gidon Bing

I live in the Eastern Bays in Auckland in a house designed by my grandparents - it has been in our family since it was built in the 1940’s. The house and garden remain largely unchanged except for the addition of a design studio/workshop and an overly ambitious edible garden. Living and working in a place with so many childhood memories is wonderful and gives us a sense of continuity and belonging.

I make sculpture/painting/printmaking, interiors and interior furnishings/textiles and products – mostly ceramic, wood, metal and glass but we are starting to make some product design in other materials – like bakelite and bioplastics, mostly furniture and lighting projects.

The sub story of how I got into this is the design and aesthetic influences from family and cultural background – which is long and varied but includes architecture, archaeology, Japonisme, the avant garde and humanist movements and a mother who imbued me with an appreciation for all forms of deep craft/trades. Practically speaking it started with a passion for wood/carpentry/sculpture that developed in parallel with built-in furnishings and then full interior/architectural fit outs and fittings/homeware.

My favourite things about what I do are the material process and spatial play/exploration, working with people who share my passion for material process and design and the sense that I’m participating in and helping to perpetuate an honourable tradition. The hours are pretty good also.