19.4.11 0
Battery Charging time!
4.10.10 0
At Mr M's
Even though we do live together (and happily!), each of us has a blog and they are both really, really different. Nonetheless, today my work on Mary Sibande (pictured) is lovingly chilling at Mr M's.
PS: This might ring a bell, as it's been published in Hand/Eye too! And if you want to read the proper art theorist, long and hard version, you can pop in here.
14.6.10 0
Coiled for Editions in Craft
BCXSY in collaboration with women beaders from South Africa.
7.6.10 0
Wafrica
Interesting point of this being transnational or a third aesthetic rather than multicultural or fusion-like. Rather than just a commercial opportunity for a younger market (of which there's part), I can also see a dialogue, a greeting, an exploration between cultures. The more I learn about postmodernism, the less I know if we are happily overcoming it or if it is just laughing on our faces (I know cultural debates don't really do that, but hey).
I've been seeing all these African print clothes sprouting everywhere in Europe this spring (World Cup, maybe?), but,as you can see, this is just the beginning. Bring. It. On.
18.2.10 0
Die Antwoord (confused, very confused)
Are they for real?
Can they possibly be?
Their name means "The answer".
They are an alternatively tatooed man, a girl that wears a mullet and looks like a child, and another dude. And sometimes a progeria-sufferer.
Rumor has it they can be a massive artistic performance, or even an ad (I've seen some images with Puma written on it). Remember, World Cup is coming.
So strange and trashy... it's attractive.
Has South Africa created a monster, or something advanced to its own time?
Via a Bombastic Element.
11.2.10 1
Wire weavers
Besides the work being fabulous, and all the economic envigoration; I think the speaker touches very briefly on a vey interesting and particular aspect of the (Southern) African material culture: the constant adapting of newcoming materials, and incorporating those into traditional crafts.
Via TED.com
9.2.10 1
Elle Decor! Super mega yay! (or bad self-promotion gone good)
Yeah, that's the Lucky Candles in the Elle Decor Blog from South Africa!
Nonetheless, I feel like there's a lesson to be learnt here, so I'll tell you the full story of how this happened.
When I was studying in CSM they were very good at telling us about self-promotion. Basically, the message was "they won't come looking for you (there are thousands of designers being vomited from design schools every year), you need to go and present yourself". That's really true, boys and girls. So I try and make a habit of contacting bloggers I honestly admire and show them my work (you can see some advice on approaching blog editors, from the horses' mouth).
This, as far as I have seen, causes two reactions: polite silence or enthusastic blogging. Now, when I approached Heather Moore (aka Skinny LaMinx) about my work, I did something very stupid: I sent all the blah, blah, blah and forgot the pictures, so I had to go back and send a "i'mreallystupidbutherearethepictures" mail. That's BAD on anyone's book.
Heather was terrifically sweet about it, joking about how I was trying to get her attention by bombarding her email account, and still posted the candles on the Elle Decor blog.
So what have we learnt? If you want to get your work seen, promote yourself. If you want to promote yourself, double check if you send your pictures. If you f*ck up, pray it's Heather who you were emailing. Thanks, Heather, for everything.
5.2.10 0
Matatu
Matatus are little vans in Nairobi. They are all widly decorated, and some are themed with politicians or celebrities. This one is rather fabulous.
Photograph by Sarah Elliot.
14.12.09 0
House on Fire
Now, now, now, I've been blah-in about "when I lived in Swaziland" this and that but I'm extremely proud to say that the best club ever (and gallery) has a brand new website!
I just couldn't describe the lively, magic sculptures you can find there, but finally! They are online :)
This is House on Fire.
21.9.09 0
Liza Lou
I saw Liza Lou's work on Elle Decor SA and I was in so much shock and awe I've taken a few days to post this.
Just so that you know, it's ALL made with beads.
17.9.09 0
Stoned Cherry fabrics
Stoned Cherry was founded in 2000 and is one of the leading contemporary African fashion labels. The founder is designer Nkhensani Nkosi. Their work has quite a strong traditional influence, and their pieces almost have "an attitude". All I can say, down there in Swaziland we were all mad for it. We'd go to every now and then Jo'burg and try their pieces on and despair at their prices (which were not terrible, but we were students and used to the local prices).
Now Nkhensani has introduced a textile collection and you'll all agree it's rather awesome.
PS: Once, they had a basket full of discounted prices in the shop. The articles were tops made out of two strips of fabric: one like a boob tube that was laced up at the back, and the other piece hung from the front almost to your ankles. And I did get one. Who know what this can be in a few years!
26.8.09 1
African Moroso
Remember I was telling you about African textiles?
These is what Italian company Moroso has made inspired by them and all African crafts (I know, we are all asking: what did African crafters get out of this? Apparently they've set up a small atelier for 20 artisans adn the industrial designers were African, European and American).
I like them. Let's see how this all goes for everybody.
16.8.09 0
BoupBoup Fabrics
Some of my most precious "souvenirs" from when we lived in Swazliand are fabrics. Sorry about the stereotype, but African fabrics are mind-blowingly colorful, fun, vibrant and different.
BoupBoup sells some textiles that remind me enormously of those. And I cannot wait to go back to get like a thousand more.
20.5.09 0
Pitt Rivers Museum
Mr. M and I went to the Pitt Rivers Museum (inside the Natural History Museum in Oxford). What an odd delight it was! The museum is on of those fascinating places that British people do so well (despite being started by that colonial mentality: "you savage do wonderful things, I shall take them away and preserve them far away from your savage hands"). It's all organized like an old-fashioned museum, all glass cabinets and crammed. I could have been there for hours. You get a torch on your way in to explore all the corners. There are no large explanation but tiny handwritten labels on the objects themselves. Mind you, the shrunken heads and so on weren't that lovely. But I'd recommend that if you ever happen around here, pay this curiosity-packed spot a visit.
3.5.09 0
Yinka Shonibare
Extraordinary Turner prize-nominated British-born Nigerian (don't you just love this kind of labelling?), working on identity. So great and full of humour. Thanks to Mr. M. for pointing him out. Enjoy.
Great deal more here.
23.4.09 0
Hats and horsemen
Mr. M and I visited London and boy, was it eventful!
We visited the Hats Anthology at the V&A. If they don't know what to do wiht all those beaotiful extraordinary pieces by the end of the exhibition, I'll gladly volunteer for most of them (not the feathery of furry ones, though).
And then we saw Death and the King's Horseman by Wole Soyinka at the National Theatre and it was SO beautifully stefed and designed, and I mean SO SO beautiful, I kind of didn't start listening to what they were actually saying until 10 mins into the play. (pic. of the controversial "color-blind" casting. All actors were balck, and the ones playing the colonial officers had "white" make-up on).
18.12.08 4
First step, recognize the problem
The first step in overcoming an addiciton is recognizing the problem. Well, then. i am addicted. Badly. I covet every single hand-crafted wooden stool out there. Specially the ones in Elle decor SA. I need to go back to SA and accumulate. (ok, maybe the cure of my addiciton will take a while).
Found via Desire to Inspire.
30.11.08 1
Bianca
Bianca is now available in my etsy shop. You can read her story here.
Expect new stuff for the shop tomorrow as well!
22.11.08 0
J.D. 'Okhai Ojeikere
Before I get into the work of this fantastic photographer, let me excuse myself for the irregularity lately: it has been a hectic week, and a rather cold one, and the going to the internet building late at night has found many problems. Please bear with me, because it is getting colder, and I am getting busier. Again, mid-December seems to be the time when I'll be able to have a daily sleepy post from bed.
But now, to J.D. 'Okhai Ojeikere. I got African Art Now from the local library a week ago, and suddenly, there it was, in front of me: an artist obsessed with women's hairdos. I know, what are the chances, and, the world is tiny. I was very impressed, but had no hope to find much more about him unless I researched myself. But guess what, today I crossed an "all books £2" bookshop. I got in (cheap books, you know me) and this book on his work was on the shelf. I couldn't believe my luck. So, ladies and gentlemen (is any gentleman reading this, by the way?), let me introduce J.D. 'Okhai Ojeikere. Expect a heavy influence on my drawings!
