Australian-born Visnja Brdar is being celebrated in what is the country’s first significant exhibition of a female graphic designer. Visnja Brdar: Design Exalted is already on show with Monash University Museum of Art | MUMA, and the exhibition is now ready to dovetail with Melbourne Design Week.
Brdar launched her own Creative Studio in Melbourne at the age of 22, quickly going on to work with the Sydney Opera House, Marc Newson and others. New York followed, with experiencing there working alongside Fabien Baron as an Art Director for Michael Kors, Jil Sander, Giorgio Armani, Nars Cosmetics and more. The eponymous creative agency, BRDAR, was established in New York in 2003.
Fast-forward to Australia 2024 and it’s MUMA hosting a groundbreaking debut exhibition. Visnja Brdar: Design Exalted profiles the 37-year career of a design visionary in an exhibition exclusive running through to the middle of the year. Drawing on Brdar’s design archive and celebrating the designer’s important role in contemporary design communication, the exhibition also coincides with the first monograph on Brdar’s work co-published by MUMA and Powerhouse Publishing.
Rebecca Coates, Director of MUMA, says that “Brdar’s story is a testament to the power of design in shaping narratives and transcending boundaries. Having worked with some of the world’s leading brands, her design practice is singular, exemplified by its independence, elegance, simplicity and dynamism. We are delighted to present this important exhibition and provide an opportunity for audiences to gain an insight into the evolution of this internationally recognised force in design.”
Curated by Hannah Mathews, formerly Senior Curator MUMA, and now Director/CEO Perth Institute of Contemporary Arts, MUMA’s exhibition showcases Brdar’s groundbreaking graphic and creative direction work across the fields of architecture, art, real estate, fashion and lifestyle – from her influential real estate campaigns in post–financial crisis New York to her iconic designs for Estée Lauder, Bill Blass, Armani, Issey Miyake and Jil Sander.
With the exhibition exploring a wide range of creative fields – from book design and packaging to jewellery and creative direction projects – Melbourne Design Week forms a perfect backdrop. New works of art and personal notebooks are even made public for the first time, attesting to her remarkable and broad range of expression.
“I strive to push the boundaries of design, the boundaries of possibility, in pursuit of the new, the surprising and the poetic, the profound and extremely beautiful. In a society that glorifies the disposable and inessential, I aim for my work to have substance and aesthetic power that stand the test of time,” says Brdar.
Hannah Mathews, Guest Curator, reflects on Brdar’s work: “When I first heard Visnja speak I was struck by how much of her language shares qualities with some of our finest artists. She’s committed to testing the boundaries of technologies, materials and visual culture. She needs to be moved and in turn wants to move others. There is a clarity and vision to her work that sets her apart.”
The exhibition offers a comprehensive retrospective and stands out as an exciting part of 2024 Melbourne Design Week. Perhaps Visnja Brdar herself sums it up best: “As I look back at most of my work, I wouldn’t change a thing.”
Visnja Brdar: Design Exalted runs until June 15th, 2024.
Melbourne Design Week
designweek.melbourne
Visnja Brdar: Design Exalted
monash.edu
