The Legacy of Robert Foster
Robert Foster in his Workshop
Robert Foster’s work goes beyond striking design; practical utility and the quality of production and finishing are equally as important. Foster’s balance of innovation and functionality has seen his work lauded as exemplary contemporary design by major arts institutions worldwide.
Born 1962 in Kyneton, Victoria, Foster began studies at the Australian National University School of Art in 1981, working under Norwegian silversmith Ragnar Hansen. Following his training, he worked overseas with some of the world’s leading design houses, such as Alessi and Ingo Maurer.
Foster established F!NK + Co. in 1993, following the success of his iconic F!NK Water Jug - originally a small commission for a Canberra restaurant in 1991. Foster went on to produce a diverse body of work from sculptural lighting and furniture to tableware and bodyware. Primarily working in aluminium, titanium and stainless steel, Foster combined these metals with a wide variety of materials such as plastic, stone, ceramic and glass. It was Robert’s combination of the natural inquisition of an engineer and creativity of an artist made his work and practice truly unique.
Foster regularly exhibited his one-off work in Australia and abroad. His works and those of F!NK + Co., are held in major public collections including the National Gallery of Australia, the National Gallery of Victoria, the Powerhouse Museum; the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, the Museum of Modern Art in New York and Museum Fur Kunst und Gewerbe in Hamburg.
Robert with his beautiful family
In a career spanning 29 years, Foster was regularly commissioned to design sculptural installations, corporate gifts and exclusive products. His lighting installation ‘The Journey’ (2010) received the 2011 ACT Architecture Award for Lighting and the Australian New Zealand Lighting Design IES Award of Excellence.
Foster was an Australian National University Alumnus of the year for Innovation and Entrepreneurship in 2015, and more recently, was posthumously awarded the Australian Institute of Architects (ACT) award 'Art in Architecture: Lifetime Contribution Award’ in June 2018.
Collaboration was at the heart of much of Foster’s work. He regularly worked with other artists on designers on a range of projects; alongside artist Marie Hagerty, Foster created sculptural objects inspired by Marie’s acclaimed paintings, with Oron Catts of Symbiotica (UniWA), he produced a series of works based on cell culturing. It should come as no surprise that there are countless more examples of his continued focus on collaboration. While Robert was himself a talented and prolific artist, he was also a generous and gregarious man who loved to teach and learn from those around him. Foster was a great advocate of Australian design, always looking for ways to support fellow designers, elevate their work, and champion Australian design both nationally and globally.
He is dearly missed.