Open Studio #4... Jordan Leeflang
Jordan Leeflang, Kilter Eight, 2020. Photo: Dean Toepfer.
Furniture designer Jordan Leeflang’s work is firmly grounded in his interior architecture training with a focus on spacial awareness and structural integrity. We take a walk through Leeflang’s studio, getting to know his inspirations and work.
Can you tell us a little about your background?
I studied Interior Architecture, initially I had the intention of scaling up to architecture but then I took some electives in furniture making and realised that I should be scaling down. My course gave me a lot of useful design skills that I could transfer to furniture but after graduating I wanted to develop my making skills. I studied at TAFE for a time and spent a lot of time tinkering in the back shed. I was fortunate to be accepted into the JamFactory Associate Program in 2019 and through it have grown my skill set and established my practice.
Tell us about your studio
The studio is ever changing – it’s mix of all of our current projects and ideas. It’s perhaps not always as clean as it should be but it is a constant source of inspiration. Calum and I went through the Associate Program together and over the years have developed a collaborative relationship where we are able to bounce ideas off one another and give each other honest feedback.
Our studio is in a great spot at the top of the stairs, with large windows. It’s a good challenge to always have something interesting for people to see when walking past.
“Our studio is in a great spot at the top of the stairs, with large windows. It’s a good challenge to always have something interesting for people to see when walking past.”
Jordan Leeflang with his Cab Chair in Studio #5.
Jordan shares studio #4 with fellow JamFactory Alumnus Calum Hurley.
What do you enjoy most about your medium?
Furniture design sits on the border of function and art. There’s no limitation to what materials or processes can be involved. I love working with timber and the physicality that can bring to a piece. I often find that on my more complicated pieces there are multiple different elements involved, which in turn means more processes for me to learn and more fabricators for me to work with. I work with local craftspeople so seeing one of these pieces completed really feels like a team effort and is incredibly rewarding.
“Furniture design sits on the border of function and art. There’s no limitation to what materials or processes can be involved.”
What or who are some of your influences?
I’ve always been drawn to architecture, which has shown across my studies and now my practice. Iconic buildings like Falling Water or the Guggenheim Museum have such strong geometries that subconsciously make their way into my designs.
Separate to my visual influences however, I find it incredibly inspiring to see other furniture designers doing well. Being able to follow along with designers all over the world, and seeing how different their styles can be, both visually and in how they operate their practices, is very encouraging. Designers like Philippe Malouin and Steven Bukowski resonate with me both aesthetically and how they incorporate many styles and processes into their work.
How do you like to spend your time outside of your studio?
When I get the time I love being out in nature. I find going for a walk in the hills so calming and rejuvenating – it’s the polar opposite to the noisy machine shop. My dog is also a big fan. Apart from that I really enjoy getting to gallery openings and seeing some of the amazing works that are out there.
What projects are you currently working on?
It’s been a busy start to the year. I exhibited the new Ripple Collection with JamFactory at Melbourne Design Week. The work is a collaboration with ceramicist Xanthe Murphy and designing and making the new pieces has been pretty all consuming. Now I’m back in the studio taking stock and figuring out which new idea is the best to dive head first into.
I’ve enjoyed trying to balance production pieces and exhibition work and currently I’m excited to follow both paths. On one hand, some very traditional furniture forms and on the other hand, something far more sculptural.
Jordan Leeflang and Xanthe Murphy, Ripple Side Tables, 2020. Photo: Dean Toepfer.
Jordan Leeflang
Graduating in 2016 with a Bachelor of Interior Architecture from the University of South Australia, Jordan’s work has a spatial awareness and structural integrity that is firmly grounded in his interior architecture training. His furniture and products are designed and constructed with three tenets in mind: pleasing proportions, complementary materials, and meticulous craftsmanship.
Jordan Leeflang’s Sunday Stool was the winner of the Australian Design Centre’s WORKSHOPPED19 Award. His Soft Spot Bowls were nominated for the 2019 VIVID Object Design Award. In 2020 he exhibited alongside fellow JamFactory Furniture Associate Calum Hurley in their show Differing Perspectives at CRAFT ACT and as part of Ductility by alt.material at Studio Edwards’ 408 Smith St, Melbourne. Ripple Side Table, a collaboration with fellow JamFactory Ceramic Associate Xanthe Murphy was joint winner of DENFAIR: Front & Centre 2020.
jordanleeflang.com
@jordanleeflang
WATCH // Jordan x Xanthe’s Ripple Collection for Melbourne Design Week 2021