WORDS Michaela Stehr PHOTO Supplied
Prominent South African ceramic brand Mervyn Gers Ceramics has teamed up with artist Sarah-Jane Jordaan in 2019 to bring her Travelling Willows Series to life as ceramic plates.
Trained as an architect, Jordaan envisioned the Travelling Willows Series through a series of sketches. “The idea behind this project was to use the iconic willow pattern as a lens to capture various cityscapes from around the world where the willow pattern has made itself at home,” Sarah explains. “ After finalising the designs in 2019, I was eager to take these illustrations a step further by transforming them into tangible ceramic pieces. I was particularly excited about the prospect that these new designs would also travel and find their own homes across the world”.
Initially, the collection featured six city designs: Cape Town, London, Tokyo, Sydney, Amsterdam, and New York Willows. During the COVID-19 lockdown, she expanded the collection to include South African cities like Johannesburg, Pretoria, and Durban Willows as a celebration of her home country. In 2023, Cape Town Willow bowls were added, with the potential for further expansion.
Jordaan chose to collaborate with Mervyn Gers Ceramics due to their commitment to being 100% local, handmade, and ethically produced. The handmade nature of their products gives each plate a distinctive character and narrative, allowing you to curate your culinary experience with designs from the Travelling Willows series.
Following the creation of the plates, they introduced the limited edition Cape Town Willow oval serving platter. Only 300 of these platters will be produced, each one uniquely numbered on the back, making them one-of-a-kind, bespoke pieces to stand out on any table setting. “This exceptional rendition of the willow pattern showcases a meticulously crafted panoramic depiction of Cape Town. The generously sized platter serves multiple purposes and makes for an ideal gift for special occasions,” elaborates Mervyn.
Both Jordaan and Gers believe in the transformative potential of collaboration among local entrepreneurs. They find the shared risk in collaboration captivating and look forward to expanding their partnership.
These unique platters are exclusively available through Mervyn Gers Ceramics. For more details about the Travelling Willow Platters, visit mervyngers.com.
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