Bison's nativity scene

One of the best things about Christmas for me is the way Canberra shops embrace the season, with window displays decked out in festive colours and twinkling lights.

If there is an award for Best Display my vote this year goes to Brian Tunks at the Bison showroom in Pialligo.

It’s always a delight to visit the showroom to browse around the beautifully designed ceramic kitchenware, which are as much a joy to pick up and use as they are to behold.  The showroom is full of mixing bowls of all sizes, latte mugs, milk bottles, herb pots and vinegar flasks, all in a colour palette that would make Michelangelo’s mouth water.

Bison is always high on my list as the perfect place for gift shopping, and it was no surprise that my Christmas quest took me there this week. Approaching the showroom I spotted ceramic Christmas decorations in the window, in shapes of stars, angels and reindeers, all in Bison’s signature earthen colours.

And as visitors enter the showroom they are welcomed by what has to be the most innovative Nativity scene around: all the figures charmingly played by Bison ceramic bottles and flasks.

The scene is typical of Bison’s design flare, turning the everyday into works of art. These pieces can easily become modern heirlooms, all the while being used on a daily basis for the most mundane of kitchen chores.

The inspiration for Bison comes from Australian and European rock paintings and techniques Brian Tunks learnt from his studies in ancient history and archaeology at the Australian National University. His work on Greco-Roman excavations in the Middle East led to him unearthing artifacts produced by artisans thousands of years ago, and realising that beauty and durability don’t have to be distinct characteristics.

Like many Canberrans I’ve followed Brian and Bison’s progress for many years, from the original workshop in Queanbeyan, the move to the bigger Pialligo showroom and now to successful showrooms in Melbourne and Sydney. I was also studying ancient history at ANU about the same time as Brian, and although I turned my studies into a PR career (no one teaches political spin like Julius Ceasar), I always feel a touch of envy that Brian was able to combine his with an extraordinary talent for design.

Today Bison pieces hold pride of place in my kitchen and every time I choose a piece I take pleasure in its colour and feel and just for a moment I too can pretend I’m on an archaeological dig, uncovering a link to the past. And even though they draw on a heritage stretching back millennia, all Bison products are microwave and dishwasher safe, making them the perfect fit for today’s homes.

I hope in a thousand years archaeologists unearth my collection and feel just as awestruck as I do today.

All the glorious colours and designs of Bison can be visited at www.bisonhome.com or in person at 8 Beltana Road, Pialligo.

[author] [author_image timthumb=’on’]http://hercanberra.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/heather.jpg[/author_image] [author_info]Heather’s career in arts and heritage PR spans 15 years, and in that time you can expect some highlights and challenges. The highlights include working for Sean Connery at the Edinburgh International Film Festival and promoting Australia’s World Heritage places. As for challenges, having a day to arrange a media event at the top of the Sydney Harbour Bridge for its 75th anniversary and finding a septuagenarian the same age for an energetic bridge climb ranks rights up there. [/author_info] [/author]