Longing (Camilla) awarded 2025 Tapestry Design Prize
Artist Troy Emery and COX have taken out top honours in the 2025 Tapestry Design Prize, one of Australia’s most visually rich and intriguing design awards.
Presented by the Australian Tapestry Workshop, this year’s prize focused on Boyd House II / Walsh Street designed by Robin Boyd. Designers and architects were invited to respond to the intimate domestic spaces of the family residence.
From over 150 applications, five finalists were selected, each interpreting a different room within the house. The proposals were handwoven by master weavers, translating digital sketches and architectural concepts into rich, tactile surfaces of wool and cotton.
The jury unanimously awarded ‘Longing (Camilla)’ the 2025 Tapestry Design Prize for its “authentic innovation and deep connection with Robin Boyd as a visionary himself”.
“It’s been a privilege to collaborate with COX and the Australian Tapestry Workshop on a project that celebrates materiality and tapestry practice,” said Troy. “Having the work exhibited at Boyd House II, an icon of Australian design, makes the experience even more special.”
“This collaboration came about after meeting with Marc on the completion of Guardian Lion [at Melbourne Square],” Troy continues. “I enjoyed being able to marry my sculpture practice with COX’s in-depth knowledge of the history of Robin Boyd. That’s why we decided to reference the space as fundamentally being a family home and bringing a ‘pet’ into the space.”
“Interpreting Troy and the COX team’s design in tapestry was such an exciting challenge,” explains weaver Saffron Gordon. “There were plenty of technical hurdles along the way, but I loved every moment of bringing their vision into the woven medium.”
The Jury, Sally Evans (Nexus Designs), Cassie Hansen (InteriorsAU) and Patrick Kennedy (Kennedy Nolan)
The jury unanimously awarded ‘Longing (Camilla)’ by Troy Emery and COX Architecture the 2025 Tapestry Design Prize for its authentic innovation and deep connection with Robin Boyd as a visionary himself.
Some fun facts about the piece: It took 275 hours to weave, used 27 colours of yarn (dyed on-site at the Australian Tapestry Workshop) and 6km of wool, all sourced locally from Australian farms.
Jury Citation
Reimagining the possibilities of tapestry, the work could exist only in woven form, not as painting or print. Thoughtfully positioned within the living room, its texture, scale and tones harmonise with Boyd’s architecture. Inspired by the home’s former resident cat, Camilla, the piece is both conceptually rich and beautifully executed by weaver Saffron Gordon – a striking evolution of the medium.
All Photography by Astrid Mulder
On Sunday 16 November, Marc, Troy and Rachael shared the design story and collaborative process behind Longing (Camilla) in an intimate conversation at Walsh Street.
Congratulations again to the other finalists: Jack MacRae, Wilson Architects; Mouriya Senthilkumar + Ian Tsui; N’arwee’t Professor Carolyn Briggs AM + Greenshoot Design; and Yvette Coppersmith + Anouska Milstein, A.mi.
Thank you to the jury, organisers and prize partners: Australian Tapestry Workshop, Metal Manufacturers Limited, The Robin Boyd Foundation, Nexus Designs, Architecture Media and Envelope Group.
Learn more about the concept behind Longing (Camilla) here