Wallace 1 — Ella Saddington

Ella Saddington

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.

PROJECT: WALLACE LAMP, 2024

For centuries, armourers and swordsmiths stood at the forefront of innovation. Their work demanded an intricate understanding of material, technique, mechanics, and aesthetics. Each suit of armour balanced protection, mobility, and beauty and was rich in cultural and individual meaning. Today, we might dismiss such objects as relics of a violent past. But to do so is to ignore the ingenuity they represent: the ability to transform raw material into something that not only serves but endures.

Now, their craft not only defined the technologies of their time but also laid the groundwork for advancements in engineering, mechanics, and material science that continue to shape our world today. This lineage of innovation reveals that crafted goods are far more than objects of utility or beauty; but are an evolving repository of human ingenuity. They carry a foundation of knowledge that both reflects the complexities of the era and drives progress into the future.

The Wallace Lamp, a prelude to our forthcoming Garniture Collection, embodies this philosophy. Named in homage to the Wallace Collection in London, where I was first captivated by the artistry and ingenuity of historical armour. The lamp represents a contemporary reimagining of these age-old techniques, a dialogue between history and the contemporary moment. Functioning both as utilitarian artefacts and as a reminder of the beauty and intelligence embedded in the processes, hands, minds, and legacies that have shaped them.

COMPOSITION: Stainless steel
FINISH: Mirror polish
WEIGHT: 3.5 KG / 7.7 lbs
LAMP: E14 LED
SWITCH: Inline
CORD: 3-core/0.75 mm
POWER: 120V - 240V AUS/NZ
DIMENSIONS: W: 40 CM /15.75 IN
H: 51 CM / 21 IN