About Koskela
Koskela’s core purpose is "Designing for Good." They believe that great design can drive social change. Passionate about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture, they celebrate and support its practitioners. With a focus on intelligent design, impeccable quality, and sustainable practices, Koskela are working toward total circularity by 2027 and zero emissions by 2035. As Australia’s first furniture and lighting company to earn B Corp certification in 2017, they are committed to combining profits with ethics. Their social impact projects have returned over $1.6 million to First Nations communities, reflecting their dedication to positive change and celebrating Australia's unique Indigenous culture.
Koskela at Expo 2025 Osaka
Koskela is providing the Australia Pavilion with some of the collaborative lighting products they create which fuse contemporary design with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art and culture. The lighting features were selected to reflect the themes of different areas in the pavilion.
Products featured are:
Product: Yuta Badayala (a new light)
Photography: Koskela
Art Centre: Elcho Island Arts
Location: Galiwin’ku
Yuta Badayala can be translated as “in a new light” or “a new light”. This name was chosen by the artists of Elcho Island who were our founding art centre partners and reflects the fact that Yolngu weaving had never been used in the context of lighting previously. The lighting is made from pandanus and bush string (kurrajong fibre) which is harvested from Country and dyed using a range of plants.
Product: Gurrwilinywirriy Mundan (Bush String)
Photography: Koskela
Art Centre: Bula Bula Arts
Location: Ramingining in North East Arnhem Land
Bula'Bula Arts is one of Australia's most significant art centres with a core objective to preserve and foster Yolngu culture. The Gurrwilinywirriy Mundan lampshades are made with traditional Bush string; handmade from the fibres between the bark and the trunk of the Kurrajong tree. Once harvested, the fibres are dyed with roots, barks, leaves or fruits. They are then rolled into this strong, symmetrical handmade string and woven and knotted using techniques which originally bound together traditional Yolngu objects such as string bags and fishing nets.
The weavers of Bula Bula Arts, Ramingining, in North-East Arnhem Land usually create traditional ceremonial and ritual objects, working together as a group to harvest materials and develop work. This is one of the first times they have embraced making objects which are not traditional Yolngu objects and the strength of their identity as late career Yolngu Artists is distilled in these lampshades.
Product: Tili Wiru (beautiful light)
Photography: Koskela
Art Centre: Tjanpi Desert Weavers
Location: APY / NPY lands
Tjanpi Desert Weavers was set up by the Ngaanyatjarra Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara Women’s Council in 1995 and is a social enterprise providing an income source for hundreds of women who go out bush, collect their local grasses (or Tjanpi) and weave them into baskets and sculptures and now lighting.
Tili Wiru is part of a collection pendants developed by Koskela in collaboration with the Tjanpi desert weavers. Handwoven from a collection of local grasses (tjanpi), the pendants are particularly vibrant due to their use of bold colour, beads and feathers, features traditionally found in Tjanpi work.
As an individual artist weaves the shade, each light is a one off and therefore entirely unique.
Product: Wirra Walykumunu (Beautiful Bowl)
Photography: Nick DeLorenzo
Art Centre: TJANPI DESERT WEAVERS
Location: NPY/APY Lands
Wirra and piti are carved wooden carrying vessels utilised daily by women from the Ngaanyatjarra, Pitjantjatjara and Yankunytjatjara (NPY) lands. This woven interpretation of the forms embodies the Tjanpi artists’ innovative approach to contemporary fibre art & connection with past traditional practices & meaning.
Quotes from Sasha Titchkosky, CEO and Co-Founder Koskela:
“We are honoured that our designs were selected to be included in Australia’s pavilion, particularly as this enables us to be the platform to showcase to the world the incredible talent of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists we collaborate with.”