The prestigious Clarence Prize this year has been awarded to Melbourne-based designer Ash Allen for a playful reimagining of the humble bean bag, without a bean to be seen.

Held twice a year by City of Clarence in Tasmania, the Clarence Prize is Australia’s most celebrated acquisitive furniture design award and carries a decorated history of showcasing the country’s most innovative and exemplary furniture designs. 

The winning piece takes home a $20,000 prize and secures its place in Hobart’s City of Clarence Art Collection for posterity across future generations. Two additional non-acquisitive prizes of $1500 are allocated each year in Highly Commended and Emerging Designer categories. 

The winning design, Ash Allen’s playful Beanless

World-class design from homegrown creatives

The final winners of the 2025 Clarence Prize were publicly announced on Saturday 6 September, at an official opening event held at The Barn, in Tasmania’s premier cultural precinct Rosny Farm.

The top prize this year was awarded to multi-disciplinary designer Ash Allen for his piece Beanless, which recreates the relaxed, instantly recognisable form of the everyday beanbag as a design piece of exquisite detail. 

Crafted from Australian-made materials, Allen developed a unique construction process of wrapping and welding steel mesh around timber moulds to create integral see-through structures with varying depths of opacity. 

Adam Markowitz and Ruth Allen’s Kindling

The two additional prizes in this year’s competition were awarded to Melbourne-based designers Adam Markowitz and Ruth Allen, in the Highly Commended category for their work Kindling; and the Emerging Designer prize went to fellow Melburnian Jess Humpston for her work Ballast.

City of Clarence mayor Brendan Blomeley emphasised the Clarence Prize as not just a reflection of the verve and vigour of the Australian design community, but an affirmation of the city’s emerging presence as a vital cultural destination.

“The Clarence Prize is recognised across the country for its prestige and influence, and proves that world-class design isn’t just found in global capitals – it’s being fostered and honoured right here in Clarence,” Blomeley said. “Hosting a design event of this calibre creates extraordinary opportunities for aspiring designers, students and our wider community to engage with world-class furniture design in their own backyard.” 

Jess Humpston’s Ballast

The winners of the 2025 Clarence Prize were chosen from a shortlist of 15 finalists, including three native Tasmanian designers, all of whom were invited to present their fully realised design concepts for a panel of judges at Rosny Farm arts precinct. 

“On behalf of the City of Clarence, I want to express how thrilled we are to be acquiring Ash’s incredible piece into our permanent collection, to be preserved for future generations to admire,” Blomeley said.

Prize draw at the state’s leading arts and culture centre

The wider showcase of winners and finalists from this year’s competition opened to the public on Sunday 7 September and will be running until Sunday 5 October.

More information on the Clarence Prize can be found online here.

Imagery supplied.