Weekend Argus (Saturday Edition)
A celebration through visual sensation
SA designers vie for sought-after honour, writes LUKE FOLB President sets the trend for a healthy lifestyle Page 16 ‘Black Panther’ shines light on Afro-futurism Page 19
IT’S a title every local designer covets – the Most Beautiful Object in South Africa. The public casts their vote over the best 10 objects at the Design Indaba Festival. Each object seeks to evoke emotion through visual sensation and begin a conversation around social significance, impact, sustainability and usability.
This year’s nominations included designs infused with African culture featuring bright colours and intricate patterns.
Societal issues and the discourse around race, religion and identity were explored as points of inspiration.
The designs include a desk, graphic prints, lampshades, sculpture, accessories and performance art.
The finalists were Philanderer Brooch by Carine Terreblanche, Identity by Carolyn Parton, Path of the Upright by Igshaan Adams, Tutu 2.0 Pendant Light by Thabisa Mjo (Mash T Design Studio), Mvelo Desk by Pinda Furniture (Siyanda Mbele), Girl Seeks Girl dress by Thebe Magugu, Brogues and High Tops by Maria McCloy, Performance by Dear Ribane, Mighty Ndebele by Justine Mahoney, Kewtown Primary School library project by See-Saw-Do.
The Mvelo desk was inspired by the amount of time people spend behind a desk and how they become married to their careers.
The patterns on the desk made use of the chevron, a Zulu symbol with the form of the desk representing masculine and feminine identity in the form of a triangle and diamond.
“What interested me the most in the Zulu symbols is when two symbols are joined, whether triangle or diamond, they represent a union.
“I translated that union as people being married to their careers.
“I hope the public realises that it’s more than just patterns on furniture.
“I want people to see the power of union,” said Mbele.
He said the desk was made out of oak with a charcoal monocoat after initial prototypes of sapwood and walnut.
“The metalwork initially was going to be powder-coated black.
“I switched it up to nickel-plated steel instead because it has character.
The different stains on the nickel plate represent the love-hate relationship we sometimes have with our careers.”
Maria McCloy uses African inspiration regularly in her fashion pieces and is inspired by what she sees locally, from bagmakers to jewellery creators.
Her shoes make use of Seshoeshoe patterns that in 2017, were part of the SA Fashion Week show alongside seven leading SA designers. The shoes are available at Woolworths online.
“They are close to my heart because Seshoeshoe is part of my heritage and so is brogue. Seshoeshoe makes me think of my grandmother and Lesotho’s style and brogue is very English, so in a way, they symbolise the Mosotho English girl in a stylish but comfortable shoe doing her thing in the pan-African city that made me, Joburg,” she said.
McCloy said she chose cloth she loved and discussed the style of the shoe and leather options with a factory.
The Mighty Ndebele sculpture looks like Mickey Mouse, but according to designer, Justine Mahoney, she has her own personality. Mighty Ndebele is a cyborg figure that uses her Mickey
Mouse antenna to pick up code from wi-fi fallout.
“I conceptualise my pieces intuitively by pulling from my library of imagery, placing unlikely elements together to form collages, which build identities.”
Mahoney said her designs were a fusion of African and pop culture.
“To me beauty is not perfection, she has chinks in her armour and if people recognise this I am super happy.”
Parton’s Identity business card was designed to be an ice-breaker and carry a direct association with the card carrier.
“It was designed for former Constitutional Court Judge Albie
Sachs who interacts with people on a personal level .
“Identity holds that same personality in the inspiration behind its design.
“The tiny size of a formal business card belies the potential weight of message it can carry. It has become a neglected object in contemporary design,” said Parton.