Ella SaddingtonAbout
CV Dossier
Ella Saddington is an experimental designer, researcher, and artist currently based in Naarm/Melbourne, Australia. Her practice explores the intersection of craft, material culture, and design, focusing on reactivating pre-industrial techniques within contemporary contexts. Through her studio, Cordon Salon, Saddington investigates the tacit knowledge embedded in traditional craftsmanship, blending historical research with material experimentation to create objects that are both functional and deeply resonant.

Saddington’s work spans sculpture, furniture, and lighting, characterised by a rigorous engagement with process and an enduring inquiry into sustainability, legacy, and the transmission of skill. Her practice is defined by meticulously investigating how objects are made, the systems that sustain them, and their cultural significance. By reframing overlooked or obsolete craft practices, Saddington reveals their enduring relevance, contributing to a broader discourse on materiality and innovation in design.

Her work has been exhibited widely in Australia, with notable presentations at the Melbourne Art Fair (2024), the National Gallery of Victoria (2023), Oigall Projects (2023), Craft Victoria (2022) and Sophie Gannon Gallery (2021), and is held in private collections internationally. 

In 2022, Saddington was awarded the George Alexander Fellowship by the International Specialised Skills Institute, supporting an intensive study into the material intelligence of medieval and early modern European armour-making. She is a recipient of the Creative Victoria 2023 Creators Fund (Aus) and a member of the Royal Anthropological Institute (UK) a member of the National Association of Visual Artists (Aus) and Craft Victoria (Aus).





Commissions and collaborations welcome  
Get in touch:

Email: ellasaddington@gmail.com
Instagram: @ellasaddington
Are.na: Ella Saddington



































I acknowledge the Traditional Owners, the Wurundjeri and Boon Wurrung people of the Kulin Nation, as the traditional custodians of the land on which I live and work. I pay my respects to their Elders past, present, and future, and extend this respect to all Indigenous Nations for their enduring stewardship, wisdom, and creative contributions.





  • Category: Applied Research


  • For:      Cordon Salon
  • Project:  Puddle Mirrors
  • Date:     2018-Ongoing

  • Process:     Silvering 
  • Location:    Melbourne, Australia
  • Design:      Ella Saddington
  • Craftwork:   Luke Price
Technique:   Poured Silver on glass
Materials:   Glass, Cerium Oxide, Tin, Silver Nitrate,                                    Ammonia, Glucose, Sealant




Silvering, initially developed in the 16th century and refined over generations, reached its most recognised form in the 19th century. Artisans perfected the technique, using silver nitrate, tin, ammonia, and glucose to create the high-quality reflective surfaces we associate with mirrors today. This process, which merged art with chemistry, became increasingly sophisticated, preserving a deep, tacit knowledge of material transformation. However, with the rise of mass production and synthetic materials in the mid-20th century, silvering gradually faded into obscurity, nearly lost in the rush of industrialisation.

These Puddle Mirrors re-engage with this nearly forgotten tradition, reinterpreting silvering not simply as a technical process but as a form of cultural preservation. Imbued with quiet experimentation, they reflect the disquieting passage of time, turning the reflective surface into a site of material and intellectual contemplation. By resurrecting silvering, we tap into a language that has been all but forgotten, questioning how historical craftsmanship can still inform contemporary design and reminding us that the boundaries between past and present are always porous, always reflective.