JOVAN GELDENHUYS,
THE ARTISAN
The one investment piece everyone should own is definitely a good coffee machine, says Jovan Geldenhuys. Caffeine inspiration served him well when he launched the Artisan, his range of handmade table, wall and floor lamps, in July last year, and the striking geometric designs have found a place in many stylish homes since then. Geldenhuys, a senior architectural technologist and graduate of the Cape Peninsula University of Technology, got into furniture and accessories design because “designing houses and buildings takes too long to be completed”. Accessories are quicker and less restrictive and thus a range of simple, strikingly structural lighting solutions was born.
Geldenhuys sold his first lamp on his website, which caught the eye of designer Ingrid Auret (of Maiden Name fame). She invited him to join the popular Shoestring Collective pop-up shop in Gardens Centre and from there things started snowballing.
Geldenhuys loves playing with design and seeing how it improves over time. His industrial aesthetic comes through in the strong lines of his lamps, which can also be customised when made to order. Other accessories include candleholders. “I’m inspired by the young creatives in the country,” says Geldenhuys. “We’re a new breed of entrepreneurs who want to do our own thing.”
Other than from his website, the Artisan products can also be purchased at various Cape Town pop-up shops, including SAM and PresentSpace in the CBD, and Fast & Remarkable in Woodstock. Keep an eye on Superbalist (superbalist.com) too.