Couling-Bridges is a unique business enterprise combining creative flair and industrial experience to produce innovative works of art and design.

Couling-Bridges offer a diverse range of skills and experience. Alongside their practise as designer-makers they can offer services such as consultancy, design and development and manufacturing and construction for both industrial and creative ends.

Susannah Bridges is an Auckland based artist/designer. She completed her Bachelor of Design degree in 1998, and is best known for her ceramic Cylinder Range of lights and vessels which was launched at her first solo exhibition SHOW #1 in July 1999. Since then she has gained widespread appreciation of this work. It has been acquired by the Auckland Museum, has received a design distinction award from New York based I.D. Magazine and has been shown internationally at InteriorDesignEx, Melbourne, in 2001 and the New York Contemporary Furniture Fair, 2002.

Alongside her own practice, Susannah held the position of Arts Projects Assistant at Waitakere City Council from 2000 – 2002. She also lectured and tutored in design at Unitec Institute of Technology in 2000 and 2001. She is currently Lead Artist on a large-scale project implemented by Waitakere City Council to design, develop and construct an entry statement/gateway to the city. This project will progress in stages over the next couple of years. As an arts consultant she has worked with the Department of Conservation (DoC) and Creative New Zealand to identify a process of arts integration in the building and refurbishment of DoC facilities nation-wide.

Murray Couling originally hails from Christchurch, where he trained as an industrial engineer. His work has involved contracting directly to industry where he co-ordinates and manages on-site projects, fabricates and installs factory works and maintains plant and machinery. He is now also focusing on utilizing his engineering skills in an art and design context.

As well as developing Couling-Bridges functional work, Murray has established a name for himself as an artwork constructor. In 2002 he won the contract to construct a large-scale public sculpture in West Auckland. This is the first of three such commissions offered through Waitakere City’s Portage Licensing Trust. Couling-Bridges construction work on the second sculpture is due to begin later this year.

 
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