To the gallery via the gift shop

The artists behind one of Australia’s most recognised design brands share the challenges of the creative juggle between studio and shop.
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Ormandy and Olsen punch up the scale of their resin works to make a sculptural statement

The creatives behind one of Australia’s most iconic design brands met at art school in 1993. Like many art students, they needed cash so they started selling their resin works at Sydney’s Paddington markets, a short walk from the art school.

Today, the names Louise Olsen and Stephen Ormandy are synonymous with Dinosaur Designs but neither has abandoned that original love, maintaining quiet careers as artists alongside their commercial success.

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Gina Fairley is ArtsHub's National Visual Arts Editor. For a decade she worked as a freelance writer and curator across Southeast Asia and was previously the Regional Contributing Editor for Hong Kong based magazines Asian Art News and World Sculpture News. Prior to writing she worked as an arts manager in America and Australia for 14 years, including the regional gallery, biennale and commercial sectors. She is based in Mittagong, regional NSW. Twitter: @ginafairley Instagram: fairleygina