Dark Arsonist, vessel (detail), 2009 by Robert Foster
Gallery title wall with limited edition F!NK jug and light sculpture by Sean Booth, 2026
STILL MAKING
Robert Foster 10-Year Memorial Exhibition
This project celebrates the legacy of the late Robert Foster and his influence on contemporary Australian metalwork. The exhibition features significant original works by Robert Foster, alongside a curated series of new collaborative pieces by 10 artists who worked with him or were shaped by his ideas.
Still Making is a celebration of a life dedicated to creativity, and a reminder that the most meaningful legacies are not fixed in the past — they continue to evolve, inspire, and make their presence felt. It is also a way to encourage makers to continue to explore ways of working with metal and keeping the craftsmanship and skills alive.
Each invited artist was asked to select one item from the FINK product range and reinterpret it as an artwork.
Participating artists: Ben Blakebrough, Sean Booth, Larah Nott, Cinnamon Lee, Dan Lorrimer, Sabine Pagan, Erica Seccombe, Oliver Smith, Blanche Tilden and the FINK Team.
Covert Kimono Lamps, 2026 by Cinnamon Lee
Gold Covert Kimono lamp (detail), 2026
COVERT KIMONO LAMPS by Cinnamon Lee
“One hundred silver moths, hand pierced from silver scraps, hide within the folds of two F!NK Kimono lamps. As if drawn to the light, they form a flutter of secret ornaments symbolising the spirits of both the living and deceased.”
When I visited the F!NK Workshop to discuss my contribution to this exhibition, I was struck by the original Kimono prototype hanging high up near the mezzanine. Seeing that first iteration clarified the object instantly: a simple fold draped over a length of tubing—aluminium sheet mimicking fabric. Despite its relative simplicity, the softly pillowed form, pristine surfaces and carefully considered curves made it unmistakably Robert Foster. With this in mind, I chose to work with the Kimono Lamp, focusing on what initially drew me to the object: the transformation of flat metal into something with life and movement, the elegance of the single fold with its subtle yet deliberate angle, and most importantly, the contrast between the dark outer shade and the bright metallic interior.
My work has long explored secret forms of ornament and precious details concealed from view. Discovering an affinity between this hidden aesthetic and seventeenth-century Japanese Edo komon textiles—where intricate patterning appears plain from a distance—informed my response to the Kimono Lamp. Leaving the F!NK design intact, I introduced an additional layer of covert ornament.
Referenced directly from specimens found in my home, individually handmade silver moths are attached to the inner surfaces of the pair of Kimono lamps through tiny drilled holes, each secured externally with a black nitrile ball. These fixings create a subtle texture when viewed from afar, appearing as an inconspicuous surface pattern. On closer inspection, however, the lamps reveal their secret: a flutter of moths illuminated within the glowing fold of anodised aluminium.
A familiar motif in my work, moths reference transformation and the poetry of phototaxis—an instinctive attraction to light that mirrors my own enduring fascination with illumination. Symbolically, moths also carry associations with spiritualism and mortality. Across many cultures they are understood to embody the souls of the dead; in some Japanese folklore the presence of moths may indicate the presence of souls of both the living and the departed.
In this way, the Covert Kimono lamps are an expression of my own phototaxis and a quiet homage to Robbie. The work also extends my ongoing exploration of hybrid objects that combine lighting with jewellery. Each moth can be removed and worn , allowing the body to wear the jewellery as much as the lamp. In doing so, the work unsettles conventional distinctions between adornment, utility, function and value.
STILL MAKING
11 July - 15 August 2026
Sevenmarks Gallery
7 Marks Street Kiama, NSW Australia
7 - 15 November 2026
Grainger Gallery
1/34 Geelong Street Fyshwick, ACT Australia
As part of the CRAFT + DESIGN CANBERRA FESTIVAL 2026