Endangered by Porky Hefer

WORDS Amelia Brown IMAGES Antonia Steyn

Southern Guild and SFA Advisory will present a unique project by renowned South African designer Porky Hefer at Design Miami/Basel from 12 to 17 June 2018.

The exhibition was commissioned by SFA Advisory to benefit the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation (LDF). The charitable organisation supports projects around the world that build climate resiliency, protect vulnerable wildlife from extinction, and restore balance to threatened ecosystems and communities.

This series of Porky’s distinctive, larger-than-life seating pods depict endangered species – an orangutan, a polar bear, a sloth, a blue whale, and a great white shark. The sculptures are made of eco-friendly and recycled materials.

“Visitors to Design Miami/Basel will be invited to sit in, on, and around these friendly sculptural creatures igniting a sense of empathy as the stories of the real animals’ hardships and the importance of their survival to our own lives is recounted through interaction, video, and text,” says Lisa Schiff, Founder and Principal of SFA Advisory.

Produced using environmentally sustainable materials, the pods, whose surfaces have been crocheted, felted, stitched and embroidered with unique embellishments, have been extensively hand-worked by artisans in Cape Town. Porky worked closely with textile artist Ronel Jordaan and local craft collectives Heartworks and Mielie to translate his creatures into giant, tactile sculptures.

“We are incredibly excited to partner with Porky on this exciting project, and we appreciate his creativity and commitment to helping us find new ways to engage the public on issues impacting wildlife,” said Terry Tamminen, CEO of LDF. “This exhibition will raise awareness about the importance of protecting endangered species around the world. Understanding our impact on the environment is a pressing issue, and we hope this exhibition and others like it will encourage people everywhere to consider making small changes toward a sustainable environment.”

The pieces will be available for sale in a limited edition of three per animal through Southern Guild gallery, with 25% of the sales proceeds supporting LDF’s wildlife conservation programmes. “It’s the future of the next generation that I am concerned about and the state of the world they inherit. Looking after our animals and Earth is one thing, but also the preservation of human skills, crafts and traditions,” Porky shared. “I think it’s important to show what beauty humans are capable of with their hands rather than the destructive mass production that technology is driving the modern consumerist society towards.”

For inquiries, contact Marika Kielland at [email protected].