On Firm Ground

Making Ground, an exhibition celebrating KZN’s world-class design and craft sector, will be showcased at the inaugural KZN Art Fair, which runs alongside the 34th Hilton Arts Festival.

WORDS Palesa Mohola PHOTOS Supplied

A new platform for KZN’s creative economy makes its debut at the Hilton Arts Festival. With its ever-evolving cultural influence, KwaZulu-Natal becomes firm ground for the KZN Art Fair, an independent, professionally curated exposition, co-founded by Lungelo Mkhize and Angela Shaw to form strong roots in the province.

The Making Ground exhibition serves as a spotlight for the excellence and ingenuity of KZN practitioners shaping contemporary South African material culture. Taking its name from the poem Dunes by A. R. Ammons, a meditation on the act of building something of value in uncertain conditions, the exhibition, created in partnership with Belgotex, is arranged across four curatorial themes: industrial, mythic, earthen and geometric exploration. The showcase includes pieces by The Ninevites, Siviwe Jali, Astrid Dahl, Studio Kalki, ifa crafted by the KZNSA Gallery, Mess by Kevin Boyd, Crooks Goods, Belgotex’s Pietermaritzburg-based YUDU brand, and others.

Belgotex, a proudly South African flooring manufacturer with more than 40 years of experience in the commercial and residential carpet industry, committed to circular design principles and environmental responsibility, brings to life a collaboration curated by Lauren Lockhart-Barker, design strategist of The Forgotten Flexible, and Angela Shaw, co-founder of the inaugural KZN Art Fair.

“They get it; Belgotex understands the connection between high-capacity production, creative innovation and the design sustainability that emerges when the two are brought together,” says Angela, describing why Belgotex is a logical partner for this collaboration. “South Africa has extraordinary creative talent, but talent alone is not enough; it needs a manufacturing base that can bring it to life at scale, with quality, and on home soil,” adds Lauren Lockhart-Barker.

This landmark exhibition can be viewed at the Memorial Hall at Hilton College for free from 7-9 August 2026. | kznartfair.com

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