Brisbane-born self-taught artist and sculptor Tan Arlidge’s path to becoming a world-renowned artist was, much like the fluid and highly refined sculptures she creates, anything but straightforward. 

Arlidge’s eye for form and composition was honed during the decade she spent working in the fashion industry. As a visual merchandiser, stylist and set designer for some of Australia’s leading designers, Arlidge created boutique spaces that reflected the essence of the clothes housed within them. Her big artistic break came in 2015 when the thermoformed polymer works she’d been experimenting with found their way into Sass and Bide boutiques. From this point on, Arlidge embraced her passion for structure, geometry, form, colour and the ever-present forces of nature, becoming an artist with a capital A, showing her work in New York, Miami and New Zealand. Here, Arlidge shares the furniture, bags and artworks by her peers that inspire her the most. 

Hans Wegner CH 28

I’ve been searching for the perfect chair for my studio and for quite some time have been circling back to this Hans Wegner classic. I love the simplicity and timelessness of this design and that it serves as both sculptural and functional.

Ca m’a fait du bien by Heidi Middleton

Heidi Middleton is my forever muse and I’ve been coveting a second artwork of hers since I first bought an Original in 2021. Her use of colour and shape is really unique and engaging.

Bespoke ring by Henson & Gold

I love jewellery that feels like ‘found treasure’ and this bespoke ring has that look and feel. My husband and I had our wedding rings designed by Brent and Andy of Henson & Gold back in 2016. We love that we can see fingerprints in the gold.

Bonacci – Lightest Blue by Tan Arlidge

An ethereal sculpture from my current series ‘Sacred Geometry’. ‘Bonacci’ is an ode to master mathematician Leonardo Fibonacci, the golden ratio and its mastery in nature. Placed atop a pedestal, I see this work having a calming yet commanding presence in the home.

Lelia Jeffreys, Silvereye no.1, 2022

Leila Jeffreys is not only an incredible photographer, but a fierce warrior for wildlife. I admire her as both an artist and a human. I’ve had my eye on this particular work as I love the colour of this beautiful bird and its striking eyes.

La Petite Pochette Rond Carré clutch bag by Jacquemus

Simon Porte-Jacquemus is renowned for his playful and experimental approach to design, incorporating geometric shapes, bold prints and pastel colours. I love the hardware on this bag. The design feels like the perfect balance of feminine and masculine. My style is pretty casual, so I imagine wearing this with denim and a low heel for lunch or dinner with friends.

Richard Sweeney’s book, Paper Sculpture, Fluid Forms

Since purchasing this book in 2021, it has become somewhat of a bible for me in the studio. It’s filled with magical techniques for pleating and forming with paper. I often use paper to create maquettes of my sculptures before realising them at full scale and I’ve referenced many of his methods from this book.

Pedestal Dessus Dessous 1 by Lea Bigot

A Réunionese sculptor now based in Marseille, Bigot creates sculptures to live with from clay, taking her inspiration from the Indian Ocean and combining it with her surrounding landscape. I would love to have this as an entry piece in my home as a plinth for my ‘Bonacci – Lightest Blue‘ sculpture.

Arc Roll – Chalk by Tan Arlidge 

A unique, bold work from my new series ‘Sacred Geometry’ that I feel really communicates the presence of geometry in nature. Formed from a single round circle, this work can be interpreted in many ways and I enjoy knowing each viewer will see something different. 

For more inspiration, check out Kate McClusky Kyle’s selections from November 2024 that celebrate the spaces in-between.