WORDS Amelia Frenkel PHOTO Shavan Rahim
An entrepreneur in Cape Town has turned an everyday kitchen gadget into a thing of beauty.
At the AJ Ceramics studio in Khayelitsha, Adonis Ndimande and a team of seven create ceramic grater plates capable of finely grating foods like garlic, ginger, hard cheese and chocolate. They pour clay into moulds, fire, paint and glaze the pieces and fire them a second time for 9 to 12 hours.
We love the plain white grater that Adonis makes, but most of his final products feature the bright hues characteristic of the Xhosa culture.
“Creativity is the power to connect the seemingly unconnected,” wrote South African writer William Plomer. These words come to mind when you see this kitchen gadget with its European heritage adorned with vibrant African artwork.
Two staff members do the painting, taking inspiration for their designs from nature. No pattern is repeated and, because the graters are painted by hand, no two are alike.
“I wanted to create a grater that celebrates hand-painted African art, says Adonis. “It’s both a practical kitchen gadget and a special gift, made with passion and love.”
Adonis hopes to make the graters available online in the near future. Until then, they’re sold at markets around the Western Cape.
Graters retail at R150 and are avaiable from the following suppliers: Earth Fair Market, Blue Bird Garage Food & Goods Market, The Range Food Market, Willowbridge Slow Market, Hermanus Country Market, Hout Bay Lions Craft Market and Cape Point Vineyards’ Noordhoek Community Market.
