Koala & Pantone Bottle The Australian Landscape
Koala partners with the Pantone Color Institute™ to unveil Australia 01, a sun-kissed, earthy green inspired by the eucalyptus forests, coastal vegetation and shifting light of the Australian landscape.
Photos COURTESY OF KOALA
Dan Kyle's painting Between The Mountain And The Gully is one of three original artworks commissioned from local artists exploring their own interpretations of the Australian landscape, inspired by Australia 01.
‘What emerged through this process with the Pantone Color Institute was a colour that feels deeply familiar. It's inspired by the eucalyptus canopy, coastal scrub and inland landscapes that many Australians have an emotional connection to,’ says Alexandra Owen, Global Head of Product Design at Koala.
Shannon Heath, is a self-taught Australian artist from Tweed Coast / Bundjalung Nation, her painting Topography Of Light was inspired by Australia 01 and her interpretations of the Australian landscape.
A versatile, grounding green, Australia 01 was dreamt up to feel equally at home in contemporary interiors and relaxed coastal spaces.
Niah McLeod is one of three Australian artists commissioned to create original works inspired by Australia 01 .
Australia 01 will feature across a curated collection of Koala's most-loved furniture, including the Torquay Modular Sofa, Koala Sofa Bed, Wanda Sofa Bed, as well as a range of cushions and throws.
“Australia 01 is ultimately a celebration of place.”
The three commissioned artworks by Shannon Heath, Dan Kyle and Niah McLeod will be auctioned to raise funds for Karrkad Kanjdji Trust, an Indigenous-led conservation organisation supporting traditional land management and cultural stewardship across West Arnhem Land.
Ever wondered what Australia would look like distilled into a single colour? Koala has partnered with the Pantone Color Institute™ to find out.
The result is Australia 01, a sun-kissed, earthy green inspired by eucalyptus forests, coastal vegetation and the shifting light that moves across the country's landscapes through the day.
Australia 01’s hue changes as the light does, appearing lighter and more airy under bright sun and deepening into something warmer as evening settles in.
'Australia has one of the most distinctive visual identities in the world, yet it's incredibly difficult to distill into a single colour,' says Alexandra Owen, Global Head of Product Design at Koala. 'What emerged through this process with the Pantone Color Institute was a colour that feels deeply familiar. It's inspired by the eucalyptus canopy, coastal scrub and inland landscapes that many Australians have an emotional connection to. It feels distinctly Australian, modern yet intrinsically connected to our sense of place.'
Lucky for us, we can now bring a little piece of that landscape home. The colour lands across a collection of Koala's furniture and homewares, including the Torquay Modular Sofa, Koala Sofa Bed, Wanda Sofa Bed, as well as a range of cushions and throws.
The launch also brings together three Australian artists, Shannon Heath, Dan Kyle and Niah McLeod, each responding to Australia 01 through their own reading of the landscape. Shannon, working from the Tweed Coast, builds ethereal, neon-pastel layers into dramatic, emotive tableaux. Dan paints en plein air from his Blue Mountains studio, chasing the early morning and late afternoon light that shapes his renderings of the surrounding gum trees. Niah, a Monero, Wandandian and Yuin artist whose practice moves through Country, connection and emotion, returns to collaborate with Koala following previous projects together.
The three artworks will go to auction from 16 July, with all proceeds directed to Karrkad Kanjdji Trust, an Indigenous-led conservation organisation supporting traditional land management across West Arnhem Land. 'It felt important that the project give back to organisations helping protect the iconic Australian landscapes that inspired it,' Alexandra adds.
If you're in Melbourne, the collection and the commissioned artworks will come together at a two-day pop-up designed by Emma Sandral, where Melbourne florist XFLOS will host floral workshops and Northcote's Fiend will bring a curated edit of rare and secondhand books on Australian design and landscape.
The Australia 01 collection and artwork exhibition will be open to the public from 17–18 July at 17 Victoria Street in Fitzroy, Victoria.
Shop the Australia 01 collection here & follow @koala to stay up to date.
