HAWE Ateljees Furniture

WORDS Malibongwe Tyilo IMAGES Jan Ras

HAWE Ateljees is a concept studio created by artist and printmaker Morné Visagie. The studio was born out of necessity when he and his partner André Sales moved into their loft in Cape Town’s Bo-Kaap.

With a bare apartment to fill up, Morné discovered a talent for carpentry, something he has in common with his father. “My dad made a lot of the furniture in the house I grew up in.” One of the first things Morné made was the loft’s 18-seater table. That was followed by a couch, a daybed, a coffee table, and so on, all made on site. This led to the launch of HAWE Ateljees. Explains Morné: “HAWE Ateljees started through the need to make things. Using wood, ceramic and linen, initially I created practical but desirable objects for our home. Every item was made for a specific purpose: shelving, tables, seating, curtaining and more. I consider everything I’ve made for our home so far as prototypes to be developed further.”

In time, HAWE Ateljees will become a physical studio, or a collection of many studios, with a strong focus on carpentry, ceramics and textiles, designing and producing high-quality furniture and items for the home.

Get the VISI Winter Issue (in stores now) to read about Morné and André’s apartment, as well as La Petit Mort, a series of monthly dinners they host at the apartment.

Visit haweateljees.com to find out more.