WORDS Celeste Jacobs
Atang Tshikare’s Afrofuturistic designs have a dynamic texture that plays on the senses and sets the tone for a new pulse in African design.
Atang Tshikare has an inherent willingness to explore and an unending commitment to refine his art, which has led him to experiment and produce work with leather, fabric, wood, concrete, ceramic and more. “My influences are a myriad of abstract cultures, from traditional ones to post-imaginative utopias. I run through them all. When I think of my work, it all comes together in sound, sight, touch and smell,” says the multidisciplinary artist, who hails from Bloemfontein.
Atang Tshikare’s collaboration with interior design studio OKHA. Read more about it here.
His fresh take on an African aesthetic and his passion to create work that evokes both a sense of curiosity and an underlying familiarity are firmly embedded in making an abstract future tangible. “There are young women and men who are creating their own solutions for today’s world,” says Atang. “Decor, design and architecture for them are not limited to traditional forms, but the abstract nature that weaves the common and unknown, the great and the ugly. It’s all about highlighting personal viewpoints, and I believe those who are persistent in their mindsets are going to reap the rewards.”
Atang Tshikare’s collaboration with interior design studio OKHA. Read more about it here.
Atang’s career is morphing into a new form of expression. “The existing creativity within me is becoming more radical. I would like to be remembered for creating a design language that articulates a confident narrative of self, that uplifts generations and boosts their sense of self-worth and self-love, and that encourages forward thinking.”
In this video, Atang also talks about his journey, collaborations and why it’s important for emerging designers to take the unorthodox route. See more of his work at atangtshikare.com.
