Biography
Marc Newson has been described as one of the most influential designers of his generation. He has worked across an extremely wide range of disciplines, and his clients include some of the best-known and most prestigious brands in the world spanning diverse sectors from manufacturing and technology to transportation, fashion, and the luxury goods sector.
Born in Sydney, Australia in 1963, Newson has lived and worked in Sydney, Tokyo, Paris, and presently resides in London where his company, Marc Newson Limited, has been based since 1997. He has had ongoing relationships with companies such as Apple, Louis Vuitton, Montblanc, Hermès, Nike, Hennessy, Dom Pérignon, Jaeger-LeCoultre, and Beretta to name a few. As well as overseeing his own company, he has held senior positions at clients’ companies, having been Creative Director of Qantas Airways from 2005-2015, and Designer for Special Projects at Apple since his first involvement in the design of the ‘Apple Watch’ (2014).
Marc Newson graduated from Sydney University in 1986 and with the aid of an Australian Crafts Council grant staged his first solo exhibition at the age of 23. The exhibition featured his ‘Lockheed Lounge’, a riveted aluminium chaise longue, that has arguably become one of the most iconic contemporary design works. Some 30 years later, it has set four world record prices at auction for work created by a living designer. His design pieces remain highly sought after on the secondary market and by 2010 accounted for 24% of total auction sales in the category for Sotheby’s, Christie’s, and Phillips.
Marc is the only designer represented by the Gagosian Gallery, and leading museums around the world have hosted solo retrospective exhibitions of his work (see below.)
Additionally, his work is presented in the permanent collections of many major museums including: The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) and Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum in New York, San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, the Design Museum (London), V&A Museum (London), Musée National d’Art Moderne, Centre Pompidou (Paris), Musée des Arts Décoratifs (Paris), Vitra Design Museum (Germany), Museum Angewandte Kunst (Frankfurt), Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe Hamburg, Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen (Rotterdam), Israel Museum (Jerusalem), Powerhouse Museum (Sydney), and the National Gallery of Victoria (Melbourne). He has recently been appointed Chair of the London Design Museum’s International Design Council.
As a long-term, and on-going, supporter of the charity (RED), Marc co-curated with Sir Jonathan Ive a design auction in 2013 which raised a staggering $46 million (USD) for The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria.
Marc Newson has been included in TIME Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People and has received numerous awards and distinctions. He holds an Honorary Doctorate from Sydney University, Adjunct Professorships at Sydney University and Hong Kong Polytechnic University, and was appointed RDI (Royal Designer for Industry) by the Royal Society of Arts. In 2012, he was awarded CBE (Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire) by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.
Newson’s work has been featured in countless books and publications and there are three monographs to date including the encyclopaedic ‘Marc Newson Works’ published by Taschen (2012). He has been the subject of various radio and television programmes including an interview on PBS on Charlie Rose (2010), BBC’s Imagine ‘Marc Newson Urban Spaceman’ (2008), Objects of Desire on Sky Arts, and ‘Objectified’, a documentary film by Gary Hustwit.
Design Awards
2019
Design Guild Mark
Awarded for Excellence in Design in the British Furnishing Industry 2019
Newson Aluminium Chair, Knoll International
2017
The Design Prize
Salone del Mobile Milan
Lifetime achievement Award
2016
Red Dot Award: Product Design 2016
Montblanc M
The DFNI Americas Awards for travel-retail excellence
Best New product Launch
Moet Hennessy James Hennessy
2015
GQ Man of the Year Awards: Creative Icon
2014
Good Design Award Australia
Good Design of the Year
Caroma Marc Newson Bathroom Sanitaryware and Tapware Range
Good Design Award Australia
Good Design Selection, Architecture and Interiors Category
Stormtech Slimline Linear Drain 64MND
Design Hall of Fame, Design Institute Australia
For services to Design in Australia
German Design Award 2014 Special Mention
Caroma Marc Newson Bathroom Sanitaryware and Tapware Range
Wallpaper Design Award
Bumper Bed by Marc Newson for Domeau & Pérès
2013
Collab Design Excellence Award 2013
Philadelphia Museum of Art, Philadelphia, USA
China Home Trends Award 2013
Magis Bunky
2012
German Design Award 2013 Gold Prize
Pentax K-01
Red Dot Design Award
Pentax K-01
2011
Lucky Strike Designer Award, Germany
Lifetime Achievement
2010
The Chicago Athenaeum Good Design Award, USA,
Smeg Ovens & Hobs
The Lifetime Achievement Award
The Design Awards, UK
2009
The Chicago Athenaeum Good Design Award, USA,
Qantas A380 First Suite
Australian Design Award,
Australia Standards, Overall Winner,
Qantas A380
Australian Design Award,
Australia Standards, Qantas,
A380 Economy Seat
Conde Nast Traveller Innovation & Design Award,
Aviation,
Qantas A380
Wallpaper Design Award,
Smeg Ovens & Hobs
2008
Man of the Year Award,
for Design, GQ Germany
London Design Medal,
London Design Festival
Skytrax World Airline Award,
Best First Class Lounge,
Qantas, Sydney
Australian International Design Awards,
Furniture Lighting Public Space category,
Qantas First Class Lounge, Sydney
2007
The LEAF International Interior Design Award,
Qantas First Class Lounge, Sydney
Australian Travel Innovator Award,
Travel+Leisure Australia magazine
2006
Designer of the Year Award,
Design Miami/ Basel
The Chicago Athenaeum Good Design Award, USA,
Samsonite Scope luggage range
Red Dot: Best of the Best Design Award,
Samsonite Scope luggage range
2005
The Chicago Athenaeum Good Design Award, USA,
Talby mobile phone
The Chicago Athenaeum Good Design Award, USA,
Zvezdochka shoe
SIFA Awards, Berlin,
G-Star collection
Design & Decoration Awards,
best bathroom product, UK,
Ideal Standard bathroom
Product Innovation Award,
Bathroom & Kitchen Magazine, UK,
Ideal Standard taps
Classic Design Awards,
Homes & Gardens with V & A Museum, UK,
Ideal Standard Newson Basin Mixer
Time Out Awards
NY Reader’s choice, Best New Restaurant Design
The Lever House
L’Observateur du Design award, Paris
a Star for Tefal cookery range
2004
Good Design Award (G Mark),
JIDPO, Japan
Talby mobile phone
ADI Compasso d’Oro Award,
Italy Honourable Mention
Strelka cutlery
2003
Australian Design Award,
Qantas Skybed
The Chicago Athenaeum Good Design Award, USA,
Skybed Business class seat Qantas Airways
The Chicago Athenaeum Good Design Award, USA,
Ideal Standard Marc Newson bathroom
Elle Decoration Design Awards, UK,
Ideal Standard Newson Bath
2001
The Chicago Athenaeum Good Design Award, USA,
DH1 door handle
Short-listed for the Selfridges Design Award, UK
2000
Compasso D’Oro Award,
X1X Premio, Italy,
ADI for SYGMA coat hook
Design Innovationen 2000,
Design Zentrum Nordrhein Westfalen, Germany,
Hemipode “Grande Date” HD 03,1999
Red Dot Design Awards, Germany,
Hemipod Watch “Grande Date” HD03, 1999
1999
Concept Car Design Award,
Tokyo Motor Show,
Ford 021C
Sydney Design Convention Award,
Issue of Australian stamp
Red Dot Design Award: product design, Germany,
Embryo chair
The George Nelson Design Award, USA
1998
Top 50 Designers Award
I.D. Magazines
1993
Prix du créateur de l’année du salon du meuble,
Paris, France
1984
Australian Crafts Council Award
Solo exhibitions
2013–14
Marc Newson: At Home
Philadelphia Museum of Art, Philadelphia, USA
2010
Marc Newson
Gagosian Gallery, New York NY, USA
2008
Marc Newson
Gagosian Gallery, London, UK
2007
Marc Newson
Gagosian Gallery, New York NY, USA
2004–05
Marc Newson
Design Museum, London, UK
2004
Marc Newson
Groninger Museum, Groningen, Netherlands
Kelvin40
Fondation Cartier pour l’art contemporain, Paris, France
Marc Newson
Galerie Kréo, Paris, France
2003
Marc Newson
Galerie Kréo, Paris, France
2001
Marc Newson: Design Works
Powerhouse Museum, Sydney, Australia
2000
Marc Newson
Galerie Kréo, Paris, France
1999
Marc Newson
McLellan Galleries, Glasgow, UK
1997
Marc Newson
Villa de Noailles, Hyères,France
1995
Bucky: de la chimie au design
Fondation Cartier pour l’Art Contemportain, Paris, France
1994
Wormhole
Internos Bis, Milan, Italy
1993
Raum & Form
Galerie Artificial, Nuremberg, Germany
Marc Newson
Galleria Massimo De Carlo, Milan, Italy
1991
Marc Newson
VIA, Paris, France
Marc Newson
C&Bi Interior, Stockholm, Sweden
1990
Fresh produce by Marc Newson
Gold & Idée, Tokyo, Japan
1988
Works of Marc Newson
Idée, Tokyo, Japan
1986
Seating for six
Roslyn Oxley9, Sydney, Australia
