Special Mention Best Product Design: Chuma Maweni

Already admired for his exquisite ceramics, Eastern Cape artist Chuma Maweni has branched out into furniture. His Imbizo collection sees him applying his distinctive eye for bold shapes and precise patterning on a much larger scale. “The culture and the traditions of the Eastern Cape have played quite an important role in my craft as a designer especially in the four years I spent in the rural Transkei. That’s where I got to know about Imbizo (a “gathering”) where important matters of the village are discussed. This informed the Imbizo Table set.” Chuma says he draws inspiration from anything that catches his eye. “It might be a natural shape, or the shape of a building. Sometimes I look at other artists' work and reinterpret and change it completely to make it my own.” 100percentdesign. co.za | Read our full interview with Chuma at visi.co.za.