the art of keeping
Ást Atelier is a space dedicated to craftsmanship, independent creative practice and thoughtful design.
We celebrate the people, skills, stories and processes behind work created with care and intention.
As Ást Atelier continues to evolve, we invite you to follow along as we connect with artists and makers, and explore their creative practices from around the world.
OUR STORY
Ást Atelier is a space dedicated to craftsmanship, independent creative practice and the appreciation of things made with care.
Founded by Julie Thornberg-Thorsøe and Kaurna Cronin in the heart of Adelaide Arcade, Ást Atelier began as a place where artists, makers, tailors and designers could share their work, and where people could experience the stories, skills and processes behind handmade pieces.
At the heart of Ást Atelier is a philosophy of continuity and care. We honour the craftsmanship and dedication behind every creation- from the hands that make it, to the materials chosen, and the stories that become part of each piece.
More than a physical space, Ást Atelier has always been about connection- between makers, materials and the people who value work created with intention.
Explore the journey of Ást Atelier, from our original atelier in Adelaide to the next chapter we are building today.
MAKERS & ARTISTS
Fashion Designer
J U T H O
JUTHO is an independent slow fashion label founded on Kaurna Yerta
(Adelaide, South Australia) in 2020 by Julie Thornberg-Thorsøe.
Working with carefully sourced deadstock fabrics, each garment is thoughtfully designed and handcrafted in the studio. Produced in small quantities and with a focus on longevity, every piece reflects a deep appreciation for craftsmanship and considered making.
Through JUTHO, Julie explores personal reflections shaped by contemporary societal themes. These ideas are translated into conceptual projects and wearable garments, inviting space for interpretation rather than offering fixed answers.
Balancing effortless essentials with statement pieces, JUTHO encourages an independent approach to dressing. The garments are created to become part of the wearer's own story, rather than defining it.
Julie graduated with a Master's degree in Fashion Design from The Royal Danish Academy in Copenhagen in 2018 before relocating to Australia, where she founded JUTHO.
Her background as a trained tailor continues to influence every collection, with craftsmanship, construction and attention to detail remaining at the core of the brand.
Ceramics
Kerryn Levy
Kerryn Levy is a ceramic artist living and working on Peramangk land (Strathalbyn), South Australia.
Using various hand-building techniques Kerryn makes sculptural vessels reminiscent of human, animal and botanical bodies that nestle and dance with one another when paired or grouped, their surfaces designed to reflect the colours and textures of the Australian landscape.
Patterns form naturally on the surface of the clay, created by finger marks and traces of the making process, providing a visible representation of the relationship between body and earth. These objects have an inherent connection to the human body that formed them and the landscape whence they came.
Her work has been collected by Shepparton Art Museum and resides in numerous private collections nationally and internationally.
Visual Artist
Amber Cronin
Amber Cronin is a cross-disciplinary artist living and working on Kaurna Yerta (Adelaide, South Australia). Her practice moves between sculpture, textiles, sound, and performance, creating works that gather people, materials, and environments in shared acts of attention and reflection. Situated within an ecology of research that includes plants, soil, and sound, her projects explore resilience, ecological grief, and the ways we remain connected – to one another and to the more-than-human world – during times of transformation.
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Leather Goods
Richard Paige
Richard Paige is the work of Adelaide leather craftsman Tom Schell, a maker who has always been drawn to understanding how things are made and making them well. What began in 2016 as a handmade clutch for his wife Brit, became the foundation of a brand launched in 2018. Every piece is still crafted entirely by hand in Tom's Adelaide studio, using a traditional saddle stitch that ensures each bag will last for decades.
Visual Artist
Tom Borgas
Tom Borgas is a visual artist and educator living and working on the traditional land of the Kaurna people in Adelaide, South Australia. His work explores the politics of images, objects and processes that sit at the intersection of art and architecture.
Working predominantly with everyday materials his practice is an experiment in what happens when spaces, people and three-dimensional form come together.
Tom has exhibited at shows and galleries around Australia including PICA (Perth), The Jam Factory (Adelaide), Artisan (Brisbane), Salamanca Arts Centre (Hobart), MARS gallery (Melbourne), Stockroom (Kyneton) and as part of the 2018 Kyneton Contemporary Art Triennial. Commissioning bodies and collaborators include: UAP, The City of Brisbane, Rockhampton City Council, Moreland City Council for Melbourne’s Level Crossing Removal Project, Splendour in the Grass, Hilton Hotel Adelaide, The Adelaide Festival Centre, The City
Author
Dominic Symes
Dominic Symes is an Adelaide-born writer and poet whose work explores memory, place and the quiet tensions of contemporary life. His writing moves with precision and restraint, attentive to language, rhythm and the emotional undercurrents of the everyday. Through poetry, editorial projects and cross-disciplinary collaborations, Symes offers a contemplative lens on how we think, feel and gather in the world.