Heirloom Furniture Exhibition by Anton Gerner in Melbourne

Culminating almost a decade’s work, Australian artisanal furniture maker Anton Gerner will stage an exhibition of his contemporary heirloom furniture for two days only. Showing that traditional techniques can be used to make the most contemporary, sculptural furniture, the exhibition also demonstrates that ultra-modern pieces can show heritage homes in a new light. Case in point, the setting is the opulent National Trust property Labassa in the Melbourne suburb of Caulfield.

“It’s this amazing, totally extravagant Victorian mansion, which is the perfect contrast for my pieces. It’s almost like a set has been purpose built for it,” says Gerner. “Many of my clients have antiques in quite contemporary homes, and I’ve always appreciated that contrast. I’ve just flipped it on its head for this exhibition.”

Gerner has made high-end furniture for a roster of discerning local clientele since the ‘90s, obsessively mastering the art of fading furniture-making practices such as traditional joinery and veneer matching techniques. The 14-piece exhibition is his first solo show, with inspiration and materials coming from unlikely places and style references ranging from Art Deco to ultra-contemporary verging on futuristic.

Items include an exposed cabinet with no obvious front, back or sides; a “lump” of Huon pine that looks as soft as butter, as much a sculpture as it is a set of drawers; a collection of geometric shapes that function as drawers and also happen to speak to you.

A deceptively simple piece made of rare Brazilian Rosewood features veneer dating back to the ‘60s, the result of an encounter with Melbourne’s renowned Rosando Brothers furniture makers.

“This rosewood comes from the Rosandos’ huge veneer store, from before it was considered endangered. It’s been sitting here for years and I haven’t been brave enough to use it,” says Gerner.

A stickler for providing clients with drawings, renders and visualisations, Gerner relies on inspiration and intuition for his work, with the diagonal Rosewood grain being adornment enough for this particular piece.

“Because that timber is so striking and so rare, I wanted to highlight how precious it is and showcase it as the sole feature,” he says.

Each piece on show has an engaging, personal story behind it, with Gerner on hand to recount them during the two-day stint at Labassa, such as ‘tales from beneath the lake’ for a Hydrowood item, to the painstaking joins and mitres in a Fiddleback Blackwood cabinet.

Anton Gerner’s solo show as Labassa runs on September 7 and 8, after which each piece will be on display in Gerner’s studio and available for purchase by appointment.