Lucas Wearne

Lucas Wearne is a self-taught artist, craftsperson and maker based in Melbourne. Working across a variety of materials, techniques and styles, he is best known for his natural limestone sculptures and hybrid objects that balance form, materiality and process and fuse traditional workmanship with contemporary design.

Beginning his career as a landscape architect, furniture-maker, and silversmith, Lucas’s experimental approach to object construction is process-based and centres the use of the hands and body. He is drawn to the natural properties and unpredictable nature of Australian limestone, and how dramatic variations in colour, texture and density result in highly individualised pieces. In his own words, ‘unpredictability is what makes natural materials so special. Working with the unexpected to resolve the challenges that these materials present is often where the most interesting moments of a piece are found.’

His love of process and experimentation is balanced with deep understanding of and appreciation for contemporary art, architecture and design aesthetics. Taking inspiration from Cubism, Greek Classicism and Romanticism, Lucas gives careful consideration to the treatment and arrangement of elements such as line, shape, and scale.

His sculptures are often described as romantic, with the contrast between soft curves, hard edges and jagged, textural finishes coming together to create architectural forms that play with masculine and feminine.

Lucas established Neighbourhood Studio in 2020. He was shortlisted for the 2020 edition of The Design Files + Laminex Design Awards Emerging Designer category.