Bronwen Main is a multidisciplinary artist and designer working at the intersection of ecology and biomaterial innovation, engaging in furniture, architecture and sculpture. Through her practice, she aims to pave the way for more regenerative practices in urban art, demonstrating how public art projects can foster community and environmental stewardship in shared spaces for both human and non-human. 

Her background is in contemporary art and architecture. Before completing her Master of Architecture at the University of Melbourne, Bronwen studied Contemporary Art in New York and later became an ambassador in the Visitor Experience Team at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. During this time, this museum welcomed 7 million visitors annually. This experience transformed Bronwen’s understanding of audience engagement, the accessibility of public art, and the role of arts programming in shaping cities.

Bronwen has lectured and taught design studios, technology, history, and theory at the Melbourne School of Design and the Monash Faculty of Art, Design & Architecture. She has studied at Tianjin University, China, and the Pratt School of Architecture, in Brooklyn. In 2019, she conducted research at the Pratt Consortium for Research and Robotics to explore new modes of creative production utilising New York City’s largest industrial robot. 

Bronwen practiced at Kerstin Thompson Architects and SJB, before starting her own design and artistic practice. Her works have been showcased at the Green Design Show, Melbourne Exhibition Centre, Salamanca Arts Centre, Linden New Art Gallery and Melbourne Design Week.


Artist & Designer

Bronwen Main


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 Exhibitions & Commissions
Current

Past



“Harvest” Series of Hemp Murals, Green Design Show Melbourne Exhibition Centre (2024)

Hemp Furniture Series

The Main Chair: Furniture Designs for “In Conversation” Series Music VenueHigh Note, Northcote (2023)

Algorithm-aided design: New modes of creative production Pratt Consortium for Research & Robotics, Brooklyn NC (2019)


    Land-Not-Filled
    2024

    Upcycled Food Packaging by saveBOARD
    Fabrication by James Henson of Proxima.
    SaveBOARD by McCormacks. Made in Australia.

    This chair is crafted from discarded food packaging and various waste plastics. Designers today need to discover methods to convert single-use materials into valuable products, steering them away from landfills and reducing environmental impact. The chair can be constructed from a single 1.2 x 2.4m sheet, a common size in the industry for various materials, to minimize waste. This board product enables the recycling of non-renewable resources, as all recovered offcuts and end-of-life items can be remanufactured into new boards, offering a circular solution to an otherwise unsustainable resource.

    This piece featured in Design Fringe 2024 as part of Arts Access Victoria's "Touch Tours," which provide access for people who are blind or have low vision to experience art, fostering untapped audiences and promoting creative solutions for full and equal participation.